When the Past Comes Back to Bite You in the Ass
by J.Wilde
Summary: A Modern 'Much Ado': Bea and Ben had a thing for each other back in High School, until he stood her up. Now he's transferred to her college. And oh yeah, his friend wants her cousin. Let the battle of wits begin!
1. The End of the World as we know it

**Author's Note: ** I posted some fanfics on here many years ago under a different username, most of which, quite frankly, deserve to fester buried in my hardrive...which they are. But after a long time, I've decided to take another crack at it. 'Much Ado' is honestly my favorite Shakespeare play ever so it didn't take long to be inspired to write a modern version. I will try to stay pretty faithful to the original, but please bear in mind some tweaks have to be made in modern adaptations. Feedback is always welcome, I like hearing what people think. Anyway, thanks for reading! (if you actually bothered to! XD)

Chapter 1

It's the End of the World (as we know it) 

I don't fricking believe it. Clearly fate, karma, or some other supernatural force is conspiring against me. Or life just sucks. Ben went _away_ to college. What _below_ earth was he doing at Messina U?

"Bea, are you okay?", Uncle Leo's voice sent me crashing back to reality like a bird-struck plane and I nearly dropped my phone, then shook my head as I sank back into my bed. I wanted to disappear, or blend into it's black and white flower pattern like some bizarre IKEA chameleon. Leave it to Uncle Leonard to spring this crap on me first thing on a Saturday morning.

"Yes, Uncle Leo. I'm sorry, I just can't believe this." I said, my hand over my eyes. It was too early for this bullshit. "Seriously, Ben DiPadua? He's the one guy in the world you _know_ I _hate_ more than anything!"

"Come on now, it's been over three years. And as much as I'd like to for your sake, as coach I can't refuse to let him try out for my team. Besides Bea, he's not a terrible person. Hate is an awfully strong word." I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, fine then, abhor. Detest. Loathe. Despise." I smirked. You know an adult has run out of legitimate excuses when they're reduced to using cliches. I could just picture my uncle rubbing his temples in exasperation as he responded;

"Alright, fine." He sighed. "Listen, Bea. I know things didn't go well before, but that was high school. You're halfway through college now. I am expecting you to come tonight. You need to put all of that behind you."

"Which I would gladly do if _Ben_ didn't act like a total _ass_ every time I've seen him since." I responded with another dismissive eyeroll. It's kind of my trademark.

"Well then, someone needs to be the bigger person." _click_

_ I can't believe he just hung up on me!_ I thought as the dial tone beeped in my ear. Uncle Leo was definitely not the most cheerful person in the morning, even when he wasn't actually, you know, _in_ person. I tossed my phone across the room, watched it thud against the whitewashed wall of the dorm, and buried my scream in my pillow. Clearly, the morning was off to a wonderful start.

Let me explain something here. Benedick DiPadua is undoubtedly, beyond question, the biggest jackass on the planet. And I had the great misfortune to go out with him. Or something close to it, anyway.

"Bea, what's wrong?" I rolled over on my bed and turned to face my cousin. Hiro is Uncle Leo's only child. She has dark Japanese hair and eyes like Aunt Kishomi, but I've always seen a lot of Uncle Leo in her face. Particularly the look she was giving me, her brow furrowed in concern. It would be cute, if the resemblance didn't kinda weird me out. More than kind of.

"Basketball tryouts are today, Hiro." I said, sprawled out on the bed. I rolled upside down, my head hanging off the edge. "Uncle Leo 'asked' us to meet him when they're over." The 'asked' was emphasized with finger quotations to indicate that it was more of a demand. Uncle Leo has a way of wrapping a demand in a request to make it _seem_ like the other person had a say in the matter. Sort of like cheap chocolates. It seems nice on the the outside while you just taste the chocolate. But then you get to the gagtastic fake-orange filling. Neither are pleasant experiences.

Hiro stood in front of the mirror, finishing doing her hair for the second time today. She's the type of girl other girls would love to hate...if they could ever find a reason to. She's absolutely adorable, has a ton of great friends, and could get any guy she wanted but she's too sweet to realize it. Or if she did, she'd never admit it. I swear if she wasn't my cousin I'd hate her guts. Purely out of jealously, of course.

"Okay, so what's the big deal?" she asked. I sat up, grabbed my 'I heart Jim' mug, and filled it with water from the tap. (Yes, I am a tiny bit in love with Jim Halpert from The Office. Question his awesomeness and die.)

"Ben transferred here. And Uncle Leo says he's signed up to try out for the team." I said as I popped it the microwave, and saw the reflection of Hiro's almond eyes widen. She spun around towards me.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." I nodded, then after a beep from the microwave, taking my Jim mug out and steeping some tea.

"I'm sorry, Bea." Hiro said, her voice warm with sympathy, coming over and wrapping me in a hug "I know you hate seeing him."

"On the contrary, it'll be fun to mess with him, poor bastard." I couldn't resist a chuckle.

Hiro laughed."You're still mad at him?" she asked as she got up and went back to applying her eyeshadow.

"Me? Mad at him for leading me on for ages, then standing me up on our first real date with no explanation?" I asked sarcastically. "Of course not!" I took a sip of tea while sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Bea..."

"No, honestly I really don't care. It's just that he's been such a cocky little prig ever since."

"And the fact that after that he immediately started flirting with Becky Powers so he could take _her_ to the prom has no bearing whatsoever on your desire to punch all the teeth out of his face." Hiro stated matter-of-factly. She was lucky I had put my mug down on the side table, or I probably would have choked on my drink.

"None at all." I replied, making a brave attempt at seriousness which was unfortunately counteracted by the huge grin spreading over my face. I leapt from the bed and hugged her fiercely as we both dissolved into giggles. Hiro may be painfully shy, but I'm proud to say my sense of humor has rubbed off on her a little. Her parents? Not so thrilled about it. It was a while later when we finally calmed down.

"Dad said you have to go?"

"He kind of did. More than kind of." But I couldn't have skipped even if I wanted to, I sort of owe Uncle Leo for...pretty much everything. See, he and Aunt Kishomi took me in after my parents died in a car crash when I was 10. They've raised me as one of their own. I mean, I will always miss my parents, but they've left me in good hands. I can talk to Aunt Kishomi about pretty much anything, and between her and Uncle Leo, they've taken care of me. Uncle Leo even helped get me in here at Messina University, and tuitions free 'cause he's a Dean (not to mention the head basketball coach). And Hiro's rooming with me now that's she's enrolled here for her first semester. She's sweet, but (as I mentioned) shy, and I have to admit, naive. I've always looked out for her, she's like a baby sister to me.

"Well, you can always try to ignore Ben." I had to smile at Hiro's attempt at comfort.

"Hardly likely." I quipped as I rummaged through my dresser. "The only thing Ben and I have in common is an inability to keep our mouths shut." I could hear her laughing behind me.

"And being incurable sarcastic wiseasses?" she added oh-so helpfully." Honestly Bea, I still wonder why you went out with him in the first place."

"Well..." See, Hiro didn't start High School until my junior year, so she missed most of the delightful melodrama typically only found on One Tree Hill – or a soap opera. "Basically, we were in debate class together and got a real kick out of mock-arguing with each other. He was funny, kinda smart, and sort of cute, so the mock arguing led to an obscene amount of flirting. The flirting led to hanging out, and..."

For some reason I suddenly became quite unreasonably fascinated with the contents of my sock drawer, irritated that even after all this time I couldn't just let it go. I felt so immature, holding on to so much resentment. But it hurt too much. "Well, you know what happened after that. Every time we met it was a massive blowout of nuclear proportions." It was time to change the subject."But enough about that crap. I understand _you_ have taken a fancy to one Claude Florentino." Hiro's cheeks went pink. "He's trying out today, too." It was hard not to laugh when she gasped in surprise.

"Will he really?" she asked, trying (and failing epically) to seem unaffected by my statement. "I had no idea." She couldn't even deny it!

"Of course not. And I'm sure Claude had _nothing_ to do with you taking _an hour and a half_ to get dressed today - Hang on, you've already done your hair, Hiro!...Twice!" I exclaimed, laughing as she raced back to the mirror.

"Oh, yes...yeah, of course." she mumbled distractedly. She stared at her reflection, fussing with her baby blue tank and then began pulling at her white denim skirt. "Do you think I should...."

"Change your top, skirt, shoes, jewelry, or any or all of the above?" I cut in, finishing her statement for her.

"Should I?" she asked, sounding far more concerned than I'm sure Claude deserved.

"No. You look great." I said sincerely, then shouted "Besides, it's my turn!" lobbing a pillow at her. I had tugged on a black tee with some pink accents and now held up two skirts. "The plaid or the houndstooth?" She looked at them both closely for a moment.

"Oh, the houndstooth, definitely. The pink lines in the background will be perfect with your top."

"I like the way you think." I chuckled as I slid the skirt on.

"I don't see why you're so concerned about_ your_ outfit." Hiro gave me a meaningful look.

"Aren't I always?" my response came with a smirk while I dug my chunky black boots out from under the bed and laced them up. Then I booted Hiro away from the mirror and tried to rid myself of bedhead and tease my auburn mess into something remotely resembling a hairstyle.

"You look nice, Bea." Hiro began, "If I didn't know any better..."

"You should." I finished, silencing her with a look. Uncle Leo trained me well in The Ancient Art of The Stinkeye. Well, him and Juno. I didn't want to be mean, but I didn't want Hiro pursuing the Ben train of thought. But I began to feel guilty when I saw the look on her face. My stomach squirmed - it's physically impossible to be mean to someone that positively angelic.

"I just don't want to go there looking like a mess." I apologized as I went back to brushing my hair. Course, Hiro never looks like a mess so she couldn't possibly relate. I saw her through my compact enthroned in her pink chair. She nodded, then began looking at me calculatingly, probably wanting to say something more about Ben, but doubting it was safe to do so. So,neither of us said anything.

After hair and teeth were brushed, it was time for warpaint; Blush, some mascara, smoky eyeshadow, and finish with berry lip gloss. In an attempt to summon confidence I wasn't _entirely_ sure I had, I took a deep breath. Whatever crap Ben planned on pulling today, I'd be ready.

_Bring it, douchebag._


	2. Battle of the Exes

Author's Note: Now it's Ben's turn to have his say! Sorry for the delay in the update, Ben's a bit harder to write than Bea. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Chapter 2

Battle of the Exes

"Good work, everyone!" Coach Leonard called after a blow of his whistle. "You all put in a solid effort, and we have some very talented players here today. We'll contact everyone who made the team, and post the list on the bulletin boards around campus once we have made our decision - by next Monday at the latest. I want to thank you all for coming out. Now, hit the showers, you all reek!"

A few laughs, the drum of running feet, and the squeak of sneakers on laminate filled the gym. The noise was nearly as loud as the obnoxious yellow and red paint job.

"Yo, DiPadua, Florentino, wait up!" I turned around to face Pete Donaldson, captain of the Messina U Knights, and a friend of mine from High School.

"What's up?" I asked as we pounded fists.

"You two were awesome today. You're both shoe ins for the team." he said as he walked with us to the locker room.

"Seriously?" Claude said, obviously surprised. "But he hasn't made his decision yet."

"Well, not officially." Pete admitted. "But you both were the best out there, hands down." All Claude could say was;

"Wow."

"Yeah, well, you done good, Newbie." Pete told him. "Freshman can't usually hold their own." Claude scuffed his foot abashedly against the floor.

"Well, you know, I helped him practice." I cut in before the 'newbie' could say anything.

"You better watch yourself DiPadua, or this one's gonna have you beat. I'm telling you, Coach was really impressed."

I wasn't so convinced.

"Did he say anything to you? Cause I didn't think he'd be too, um...thrilled with me after..."

"After you broke his niece's heart?" Pete smirked at me as he jammed open the door of the locker room.

"That assumes Bea Evans actually has a heart to break." I responded dryly. Claude looked at me, surprised.

"You dated the Coach's niece?" he sputtered.

"I wouldn't say _dated_."

"_She_ would." Pete snapped back."But anyway, just be grateful he isn't holding it against you. On the court at least. " Pete grabbed a towel off a hook in the locker room wall (whose paint, by the way, was just as bad as the gym's itself) and snapped it at me in a less painful variety of rattail before walking off. Claude's face swam with confusion.

See, I've only known him for what, like, 2 weeks? I bumped into him – literally, while he was wandering lost around campus, and it turned out he's in the same hall as I am, only a few doors down actually. We both planned on trying out for the basketball team, he's a freshman, I just transferred, so I kinda took him under my wing. Long story short, he doesn't know about me and Beatrice. So I filled him in while we waited to get into the showers.

"See Claude, Bea Evans and I had debate together back in High School. We started talking and...after a while, flirting and hanging out and all. Next thing I know, the whole school's saying crap that we're dating, but it was never anything official. We were going to actually go out on a real date, but then we had this huge Hiroshima style blowout a month or so before Prom. Things were said. Things were thrown (...at me). So, I bailed on our plans, and then took this other girl to Prom. Bea's been a bitch about it ever since."

"Well, that was a bit harsh Ben, but she's still giving you shit about it?"

"The harshness is directly related to the hotness of the prom date. But yeah, s_till_." Then some people finally got out of the showers, and that was the end of our conversation.

But, speak of the devil (literally), as I was drying off after my shower I heard an all-too-familiar laugh filter through the wall, mingled with the drone of other voices. My mouth went dry and and my stomach squirmed in a way that was part guilt, part nausea, and part...something else. What the hell was Bea doing here? I strained to hear what she was saying, but the wall was just thin enough to be able to tell that people were talking in the other room, but thick enough to prevent eavesdropping. How inconvenient! I vented my frustration by drying my hair rather aggressively with a towel. I kept trying to listen as I got myself together, but no luck. A minute or two later Pete turned up again.

"Come on, are you ready?"

"Just have to tie my shoes." We caught up with Claude and followed the crowd out back into the gym.

"There you are Pete!"

"Hey Coach!" Pete called back, joining him. Then he turned to a pretty Asian looking girl standing next to him. "Nice to meet you!" They shook hands, and then Pete looked at Coach. "This must be your daughter." I thought she looked familiar. We hadn't spoken before, though.

"So her mother tells me." As I got closer I began to see the resemblance. Her hair and eyes were dark but aside from that, she had her dad's face.

Feeling the need to cut into the conversation, I asked.

"Did you doubt it, that you asked her?" Coach chuckled. I shook hands with her.

"I'm Ben. I make jokes when I have nothing else to say." She smiled.

"That explains a lot." I heard Bea say, "and by 'jokes' he means saying 'that's what she said' every other second." I wanted to ignore her, but it was impossible.

"Well, if it isn't Little Miss Disdain!" I exclaimed in mock surprise. "You're still alive?"

"Disdain won't be going anywhere while you're around." Bea retorted sharply. I opened my mouth to spit out some fabulously witty comeback, but for a moment, my mind blanked completely. Unfortunately, like most males, I am vulnerable to hot girls. And I had forgotten just how hot Bea was. So the best I could do was;

"Ooh, someone's a little jealous that I'm so popular with the ladies. You don't count, of course." She arched an eyebrow and I saw a dangerous gleam flash in her hazel eyes.

"And who does? Your mom and grandma? Maybe an aunt?" I heard some players laugh behind me and cursed Murphy's law. If someone's gonna roast you, of course everyone in the godforsaken room has to hear it, right? I had to salvage some shred of my reputation...and try to ignore how the teacher-esque skirt she was wearing looked _anything_ but academic on her.

"You know, it's really a nuisance, being fawned over like that. They're all after me, but I'm not tying myself down." Good lord that was awful! I was off my game, but she wasn't.

"Oh thank god! They don't know how lucky they are. They're been spared a terrible boyfriend." More laughter from our 'audience' and she went on. "Aside from that though, I have to agree. The last thing I wanna hear is some jackass 'swearing' he loves me." Ouch would be an understatement. I have to admit though, Bea was good. If she were taking those shots at anyone else I'd be pissing myself laughing. As it was however, it was decidedly not cool. And mature gentleman I am, I returned the favor.

" Well, thank goodness for that! It'll save some poor bastard a severely scratched face."

A collective '_OOOOOH!_' echoed throughout the room. Okay, seriously. Was everyone in the entire gym circling around us? It was really hard to think with everyone watching like that, not to mention I was getting distracted by the way the light was shining on her hair.

"Scratching would only improve a face like yours." Oh, come on now, Bea. A good try, but you can do better than that. I rolled my eyes.

"How original! You could teach parrots."

"Better a parrot talking like me than you talking like an ass." _DAMN!_ I heard someone let out a whoop. "Oh, and speaking of original, Robert Downey Jr. called, he wants his goatee back, you can't pull it off." It's official, Beatrice Evans has a comeback for absolutely everything. I stroked my poor maligned goatee (Bea totally doesn't know what she's talking about) while I scrambled for a way to put an end to this conversation. More accurately; confrontation. Right now it was barely a draw, and I was fresh out of ammo. It was time for a tactical retreat.

"God, I wish my car went as fast as your mouth...and ran as long." I finally said. Then with a wave of my hand "But that's it, I'm out of here." Bea looked irritated.

"You stall out worse than your car." she grumbled. "I know all your tricks." But I was already walking away through the dispersing crowd. The show was over.

"Remind me to wear a cup the next time I talk to Bea." I muttered darkly to Claude and Pete when I caught up with them.

"She hit below the belt, huh?"sniggered Pete.

"Figuratively speaking." I replied. Then after a beat, "Though, I would never put the literal past her." Pete and Claude laughed. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the coach talking to Pete's brother John. I recognized him immediately. You don't easily forget a face whose expression could curdle milk, even after 3 years. It seemed like they were talking about Pete. I knew Pete and John had gone through a rough patch recently, but they had worked things out now. Well, as much as they can be worked out with John Donaldson involved. He had a quality 4 year old sulk going on through their entire conversation (and by conversation I mean him standing there scowling while Coach talked). Course, by John's standards that's practically open pleasantry.

"I've gotta talk to coach, so you guys go ahead and start back, alright?" Pete said as he walked away. John had already skulked off.

"Did you check out the coach's daughter?" Claude whispered once Pete was out of earshot.

"I saw her." I answered. "but did not 'check her out'?

"Well?" he asked me anxiously. "What did you think of her?"

"Are you asking me as a friend, or as a guy?"

"I'm asking for your opinion." Claude said simply.

"She's very nice, Claude." I trailed off, not having the slightest clue what else to say.

"You don't think she's gorgeous?" Claude sounded flabbergasted. Naturally, me thinking of Hiro any differently than he did was unfathomable.

"I never said that." I ran a hand through my dark hair, forgetting that I had gelled it back. It was tough to act nonchalant when your hand is dangerously close to being stuck to your head. "I guess I just prefer something a little less...obvious?"

"Like what...er...who?" Claude seemed genuinely shocked. I shrugged.

"Well, I mean..." was I seriously gonna say it? "Look at her cousin." I certainly was. She was still standing by her uncle, talking to her cousin. "Bea's ten times hotter than Hiro..." _Ho shit, backpedal, man. Quick!_ "If she wasn't a total psychobitch, I mean." Claude's silence told me he wasn't convinced. "It's a purely objective statement...Like saying you prefer a Lexus to...I dunno, a Mercedes." I threw out there.

"Isn't it a bit sexist, comparing a girl to a car?" I smirked.

"Depends on the car."

"I thought you guys were gonna head back. Instead your standing around, whispering like schoolgirls." said Pete as he came up behind us.

"Claude has a secret!" I chuckled. His eyes went wide and he whispered.

_"Please don't say anything."_

"A secret?" Pete inquired.

"I can't say anything." I said sternly. "You have to make me." Claude looked over, horrified.

"Do I now?" Pete grabbed my arm, the other, then pinned them behind me. I cried out in feigned pain.

"Ow, ow, ow! See Claude? He made me!" Claude was laughing too much to really care. "The secret is..." I looked from one to the other, then drumrolled overdramatically. Drumrolling must always be overdone. It's like, a law. "Claude has the hots for Hiro!" Peter turned to him.

"Is that true?" Claude was sheepish.

"...Something like that...I've seen her around, but never spoken to her." I had to laugh.

"He doesn't want to admit it!"

"Why not, Claude?" Pete asked, concerned. "She's a great girl." Claude was visibly uncomfortable.

"You both are messing with me." he mumbled.

"I was just telling you what I thought." Pete's sincerity was written plainly on his face.

"As did I." and that was about as serious as I planned to be. Claude sighed heavily and admitted;

"I really _do_ like her."

"I don't see why you shouldn't." Pete tapped him on the shoulder. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't see what you, or anyone else sees in her." Pete laughed.

"You enjoy being obstinate." This couldn't be denied.

"Or he's too stubborn to admit the truth." Claude seemed to be livening up a bit. I was relieved. And of course, I could have denied being stubborn, but arguing the point would only have proved it, never mind the fact that it _was_ true.

"Look, I've got nothing against girls. In fact, I think so highly of them that I refuse to have that good opinion altered by bad experiences. And you see, if I were to go out with someone that's sure to happen. So I won't!" I became even more mock serious. "I will die a bachelor!" They both laughed, but Pete was laughing at me, rather than my joke.

"Oh, you'll fall for someone, Ben. Mark my words. And when you do, we'll be here to laugh at you."

"The moment I go all mushy over a girl, you have not only my permission but my _blessing_ to shoot me."


	3. Round Two!

Author's Note: Well, back again! And yes, many apologies for making you wait so long for an update. I'm cruel, aren't I? But this one is extra long, so I hope you forgive me. Sorry for throwing so many lyrics into the this chapter, but it's a party! There has to be music... and Kareoke. XD Thanks to all the lovely people who have read and reviewed! I really appreciate the feedback, and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 3

Battle of the Exes (Round TWO)

So, Ben and Claude made the team. Please don't act like you're surprised. This didn't bother me as much as it might have, since there weren't any other significant run ins with Ben. Our worst altercation was meeting Uncle Leo at the end of one of the practices. He was still on the court, and tried to show off by making a slam dunk. Key word: tried. He came dangerously close to falling on his ass. I had to laugh, and he proceeded to make ridiculous faces at me for the rest of the time I was there. Real mature. What sucks is, since the tryouts I haven't been able to get a decent night's sleep.

Fortunately for Hiro, unfortunately for me, Claude seemed to have taken a shine to her. He 'bumped into her' all the time, and they started hanging out. A lot. It's been weeks now, and every time she comes back from one of their non-date dates, I expect to hear that he's made a move. And he still hasn't. It's surprising, but he does seem rather on the shy side.

But anyway, nothing terribly exciting went on for weeks, until late October when Uncle Leo announced he was throwing a Halloween party. And inviting the basketball team. With me and Ben there, it was sure to be a terrifying evening. Hiro and I got into the spirit of the occasion: I pulled out a slinky black dress, some pearls, and with a bun was a dead ringer for Audrey Hepburn, if I do say so myself. I laced Hiro into a corset, braided her hair, and viola! Juliet! We showed up to Uncle Leo's with plenty of time. I looked around and took in the scene. A plethora of Playboy bunnies and an assortment of other slutteriffic costumes and of course your typical cliché slew of zombies, ghosts, witches, devils, and other unoriginal Halloween staples. It wasn't hard to make out Ben and his crew. They had come as Knights from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, complete with coconuts. Much as I hate Ben, it had to be admitted (albeit begrudgingly) that it was a pretty awesome idea. Claude had come as Galahad, and Pete Donaldson as King Arthur. His brother John had come as a party-pooper (ie; not in costume at all.) I swear that guy is the most miserable wretch on the planet. Every time I talk to him I get heartburn half an hour later. What an Emo. From this distance, and with the party lights, I couldn't tell if Ben was Bedevere or Lancelot.

"Bea! Hiro!"

"Mags!" Our suitemate, Margaret Chen, was running toward us. I realized with horror that she was one of the 'bunnies' I had seen prancing around earlier. It's funny how she and Hiro look so much alike, yet act so differently. Margaret's fun, loud, goofy, blunt, outspoken, and just in general over the top. She's a lot of fun, but has to be taken in small doses by those of us a little more straightedge than she is. Mags looked as though she had already had a shot of something or other...or several.

"Your uncle knows how to throw a kickin' party, Bea!"

"Thanks." I couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not. We did the wallflower thing and just sorta hung around at the edge of the room. Eventually we got some sodas. Oh yeah, I know how to party. Course, it was more the DJ's fault than anything else. This music wasn't even danceable. (Is that a word?) And believe me, I've been to enough wedding receptions to know bad party music. Hiro's eyes followed Claude around the room. And not in the creepy stalker, Hannibal Lecter 'come hither so I can eat your face' way, but in the sweet, sad 'I like you,won't you talk to me?' way.

"If he doesn't ask you to dance, Hiro, it's cause of the godawful music this DJ is spinning." She turned to me, surprised. She hadn't realized anyone was paying the slightest attention to her. But she also knew there was no denying what she'd been doing. I took a last swig of my (makes the world taste better!) and walked over to the DJ's booth to express my displeasure. I could feel my eardrums pound as I got closer, and when I got to the table, I shouted at the DJ over the din,

"GOT ANY JET?" I'm not a _huge_ fan of them, but I had reason for asking.

"YEAH. WHAT SONG DO YOU WANT?" he yelled back. So, I told him. And shortly thereafter, my request began blaring through the speakers.

_Got your rhymes goin' round in my head  
Got your supersonic beats mixin' up my keds  
So dance little D.J. come on  
What's your name?_

_I wanna move but it don't feel right  
'Cause you've been playin' other peoples songs all night  
So tell me what you're tryin' to say?  
What's your name?_

_Hey rollover D.J.  
You're spinnin' away on my time  
Hey, who cares what you play?  
Say whatever you say 'cause I don't mind  
Hey, roll over D.J., if you don't mind_

_Well I know that you think you're a star  
A pill poppin' jukebox is all that you are  
So tell me it ain't that way  
What's you're name? Yeah_

I finally hit the dance floor, a huge grin on my face, and a close eye on the DJ to see if he got the hint. Needless to say, the music was better through the rest of the night. Hiro and I rocked out and when the song finished the Python Posse came over to join us. They had all put their helmets down, so we wouldn't know who was who. But Ben's friends took all of mine out to the floor which left us by ourselves, leaning up against a wall. I was perfectly content to let him stew in the mutual awkward silence until I heard the kickin' beat of a Ting Tings song starting and there was no way in hell I was going to sit out one of the only good songs that had been played so far. So, knowing he would never ask, I pretended I thought he was someone else. After all,they'd all kept their helmets down the whole time they talked with us.

"Hey, Claude. Let's go dance. I don't bite."

"Huh?"

"Shut Up and Let Me Go is starting. Let's move it."

"But I'm not Cl-" I grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him out on the floor, which is really rather funny, considering how relatively tiny I am. Ben's not _really_ tall but he's got at least 4 inches on me.

"So, Claude. How come you haven't asked Hiro to dance?" I asked, continuing my act. He started his.

"Pete asked her already."

"Yeah? And?" I said, spinning around.

"I dunno."

"Where's Ben? Stuffing his face?" I couldn't restrain the smirk.

"I think he's dancing with your bunny friend." came 'Claude's' reply. "He was right about getting all the girls."

"That's the impression he likes to give, anyway."

"_Say what?" _Even if I thought I was dancing with Claude, there's no way he would have said that with such indignance. I smiled, bobbing my head to the beat.

"Oh, nothing. But my god, Mags will never go for him with that absurd thing growing on his chin. Heck, no girl is gonna dig the wannabe pirate look he's trying to rock." Having no real response for that he said.

"You should have heard what he said about you earlier." He's trying to throw me off by making me nervous. I already was a little because a few people had started staring. I thought for a moment and lost myself in the music.

"Lemme guess." I finally answered, the base pounding in my ears. "He told you I was a bigger harpy than Hillary Clinton, and I rip all my jokes from Craig Ferguson?" Ben never has any fresh material, so I was sure he was just gonna recycle all his old lame cracks. "I'm not worried. He's just Pete's clown anyway. No one actually likes him, they just like to laugh at him."

"Um..." _Hah!!_ "I'll - When I see him again I'll tell him what you said."

"I'm quaking in my boots! I mean really. He'll just wrack his teeny little brain for a lame comeback that won't be funny, or even make sense. But it doesn't matter cause no one will be listening anyway." And with that, the song and our lovely little chat was over. "Later, _Claude_!" He didn't respond.

__________________________________________________________

Bea Evans IS a bigger harpy than Hillary Clinton. I swear if there had been any more steam coming out of my ears my helmet would have whistled like a flipping teapot.

"Yo, Ben. What's wrong? I saw you dancing with Bea." Pete found me in a corner, sulking over some Sprite.

"I'm telling you, dude, she's Satan. She looks normal, but she's Satan in human form!" and she wasn't even funny tonight. Granted, neither was I. How the hell did she mistake me for Claude?

"How bout some public humiliation to put your mind off it?" Pete suggested. "Wanna have a go at the kareoke machine?"

"Oh, yeah, that'll really improve my mood." I grumbled dryly.

"Look, you can stand around sulking, or you can go up there, find a song, make an ass of yourself and vent your frustration."

"I make an ass of myself anyway!" I'm pretty sure someone spiked my drink. That's the only explanation I have for going over to the kareoke machine and picking out an All American Rejects song. That, and since I kept refusing, Pete bet me 20 bucks.

So, long story short, I ended up standing up there with the mike singing 'Gives You Hell'

_I wake up every evening  
With a big smile on my face  
And it never feels out of place  
And you're still probably working  
At a nine to five pace  
I wonder how bad that tastes_

_  
When you see my face  
Hope it gives you hell  
Hope it gives you hell  
When you walk my way  
Hope it gives you hell  
Hope it gives you hell_

I was pretty sure I spotted her in the crowd, and couldn't help smiling widely as I belted out the lyrics

_Now where's your picket fence love?  
And where's that shiny car?  
And did it ever get you far?  
You never seemed so tense love  
I've never seen you fall so hard  
Do you know where you are  
And the truth be told I miss you  
And truth be told I'm lying_

_When you see my face  
Hope it gives you hell  
Hope it gives you hell  
When you walk my way  
Hope it gives you hell  
Hope it gives you hell_

_If you find a man that's worth a damn and treats you well  
Then he's a fool you're just as well  
Hope it gives you hell_

It _was_ Bea. She'd had to follow her friends over to this part of the room and I could see her clearly. She stood off to the side a bit, a little ways back. She saw what I was doing, though. Then smiled bitterly, and began to sing along! Somehow or other, she always manages to spite me.

_  
Tomorrow you'll be thinking to yourself  
Where'd it all go wrong?  
But the list goes on and on_

_The truth be told I miss you  
And truth be told I'm lying_

_Now you'll never see  
What you've done to me  
You can take back your memories  
They're no good to me  
And here's all your lies  
You can look me in the eyes  
With the sad, sad look  
That you wear so well_

_  
When you hear this song and sing along  
And never tell  
Then you're the fool  
I'm just as well  
Hope it gives you hell  
When you hear this song  
I hope that it will give you hell  
You can sing along  
I hope that it puts you through hell_

"Feel better?" Pete asked when I had surrendered the 'spotlight'. It was tough to do, believe me.

"Actually, yeah."

"I hope so, you glared daggers at her through the whole song."

"You should have heard all the BS she was spouting earlier, badmouthing me thinking she was talking to Claude."

"Sheesh. Not cool. Honestly, Ben, you really _were_ a jerk about that whole situation, but you'd think she'd be past it by now." Then suddenly we heard Katy Perry start pumping from the Kareoke booth.

"Apparently not." I replied, watching Bea take the mike. For one gut wrenching second we locked eyes, and she gave me a look that said clearly 'Two can play that game'

_You change your mind  
Like a girl changes clothes  
Yeah, you PMS like a bit_ – She stopped, and put a hand to her mouth with a mischievous grin.

_I would know  
And you always think  
Always speak cryptically  
I should know  
That you're no good for me_

_'Cause you're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in and you're out  
You're up and you're down_

_We fight, we break up  
We kiss, we make up_

_You're wrong when it's right  
It's black and it's white_

_You, you don't really wanna stay, no  
You, but you don't really wanna go, oh_

_You're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in and you're out  
You're up and you're down_

_  
We used to be just like twins, so in sync  
The same energy now's a dead battery  
Used to laugh 'bout nothing  
Now you're plain boring  
I should know  
That you're not gonna change_

_'Cause you're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in and you're out  
You're up and you're down  
You're wrong when it's right  
It's black and it's white  
We fight, we break up  
We kiss, we make up  
You're wrong when it's right  
It's black and it's white  
You, you don't really wanna stay, no  
You, but you don't really wanna go, oh_

_You're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in and you're out  
You're up and you're down_

"_Well played, Bea_." I had to admit to myself as she went on. She had always had a nice voice, and there was just enough 'screw you' in her tone to give it an edge. I walked off to the opposite end of the room, not wanting to hear the rest of it. I found I was still a little riled up over what she'd said earlier. 'Pete's clown' Please. She's just bitter, and saying stuff out of spite. Course, my response (though she couldn't have known it was one) was not so great. But whatever, screw her – um, in the NON literal sense. I leaned against the wall, and tried to ignore the rest of the song. Bea had made her point.

I attempted to distract myself by people watching. John Donaldson was talking to Claude, and they were both watching Pete dance with Hiro. She was grinning, and I saw her blush at one point when he said something to her. The longer Claude watched, the more he came to resemble the green eyed monster – and I'm not talking about The Incredible Hulk. Someone needed a distraction. I made my way over to him just after John walked away.

"Hey man." I put out my fist for a pound but Claude left me hanging, still watching Hiro dance with a look on his face like someone had fed antifreeze to his puppy.

"He told me he was gonna talk to her for you."

"Well, I hope they're happy together." he said in a tone so bitter I was shocked someone as all-out nice as Claude Florentino could use it. It wasn't like him, and it weirded me out a little. More than a little. So, my only recourse was to whap him upside the head.

"He's talking to her about YOU, jackass!" I laughed. That snapped him out of it.

"R-really?" he asked. As if to answer the question, Pete soon walked over to us, with Hiro in tow. He whispered something to Claude that sounded suspiciously like,

"_She's into you, dude! Ask her to dance!_"

Polite, awkward conversation was made (see: shouted) until the end of the next atrocious rap number. When a slow song came on, Claude took Hiro to the floor. Pete came and stood by me, and without even glancing at each other, we high fived. We're shady like that. We celebrated our success with a quick toast with freshly poured glasses of soda. I spotted John, sitting in his self designated emo corner, looking positively miserable. Good to know the party hadn't put a damper on his spirits. One of his friends (I think he has...2?) found him, and they started whispering, with glances over at Claude, that made me fear they were plotting some sort of Carrie moment. Only, you know, with a dude. And no psychic powers. Or maybe they were just hatching a terrorist plot.

Speaking of scary ass rhymes-with-witches: right after that, I saw Bea making her way in the general direction of where Pete and I were standing.

"Crap! She's coming! Hide me Pete!"

"Um...no."

"Can I refill your drink?"

"We just got drinks, Ben. C'mon. How old are you?"

"I DON'T wanna talk to her." Okay, so maybe I did sound a bit like a 5 year old.

"Well, I do. So, you'll just have to deal." It was too late, anyway. She had found us. I prayed for lightening to strike me. No luck.

"Hey guys."

"Hey Bea." Pete said "Having fun?"

"Sure." She said with a smile too fake for me to buy it. "Tons." I noted her sarcasm. "You, Pete?"

"Yeah," he said, "it's been great." She nodded an "I'm glad" and then looked over at me. Not having the slightest clue what to say (and still resenting everything she'd done earlier in the evening) I said.

"What a lovely witch costume!" I felt Pete's elbow dig sharply into my side.

"How observant of you! I see you came as an ass." Bea never misses a beat. Granted, I'd asked for it. Pete nearly spat out his soda in laughter.

"Actually, I'm Sir Bedevere. And, you _are_ wearing a black dress, so I just assumed..." _A hot little black dress_ – but anyway! There was a pause where I considered quoting Monty Python at Pete. Instead, I asked Bea "Are you gonna go easy on me tonight?" then had to choke back a _THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!_

"Are you scared?" She smiled deviously. Come on now, even if I was I couldn't admit it. Beatrice Evans could _smell_ fear.

"Should I be?"

"If you were, why would you talk to me?" She asked. Without even thinking, my reply sprang out.

"I'm a masochist." I sounded dead serious. The expression on my face, however, was not. The tension was broken. She laughed, then looked away. And suddenly, the tension came right back. This was an awkward situation, now with an even more awkward silence. I tried to read the expression on her face, but couldn't. Were we still fighting? It didn't seem like it, but I had learned never to assume anything when it came to Beatrice Evans. I extended a hand.

"Truce?" She smiled, but shook her head. No.

"Ceasefire." Then we shook on it. She looked over at her cousin and Claude.

"It's about time." she said simply.

"You're not kidding." I sipped my soda, then looked over to see her hazel eyes light up with sudden wicked inspiration. She grabbed my wrist.

"Let's go spy on them!"

"I thought we already were?"

"Snarky social commentary is _not_ spying." She sounded like a teacher explaining for the one millionth time that one plus one made two. I laughed.

"C'mon" I said, hardly knowing what I was saying. "We'll only be able to eavesdrop on the dance floor." Once I fully realized what I said, (and beat myself up mentally for my idiodicy) I expected her to refuse. For the moment she thought it over, I thought she would. But she didn't. She laughed and said airly,

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." We went out, and for a while danced without saying anything. Bea looked around.

"Where'd they go?" I spun her so she could look for her cousin and Claude.

"I thought they were over near the corner?"

"Ah! By the window!" We moved quickly in that direction. A few people may have been elbowed in the process. Bea spotted Claude and Hiro and smiled.

"So sweet."

"Too sweet. My teeth are rotting."

"Exactly." she agreed.

"Oh lordie, they've got that misty faraway look in their eyes."

"I believe that's called conjunctivitis." I couldn't remember the last time I laughed so hard. When we'd both recovered, we saw Hiro whisper something in Claude's ear.

"Oh, Claude!" Bea whispered in a silly voice, more gently teasing than real mocking. I snickered and returned.

"Oh, Hiro!" in an equally ridiculous tone. Then we saw Claude and Hiro begin making out.

"Oh, god!" I spat out.

"At least when they're kissing they're not talking." she said dryly. But she seemed a bit uncomfortable about it, herself. Her dancing had become stiff.

"They're trying to, though." Which, sadly enough, was true


	4. In Which Schemes Hatch Like Eggs

Chapter 4

In Which Schemes Hatch Like Eggs

"So it's true. Claude Florentino is going out with Hiro?" John Donaldson said, in a low half-whisper to his friend, Rick Borachio as they stood outside their building.

"Yeah. But I have a plan."

"Excellent. Anything to mess with him, or DiPadua is fine by me. Pete's been fawning all over them all season, going on about what great players they are. I'm hardly off the bench anymore." John's voice oozed venomous jealousy. "They need to be knocked down a few pegs, especially that _freshman_. What do you have in mind?"

"Well, you know how Maggie Chen and I sort of have an off and on fling?"

"You've mentioned her." John said cooly, taking a long drag of a cigarette, then blowing out the smoke, and resting his head against the brick wall.

"Well, her room is the other half of Hiro's suite. Maggie and Hiro look a lot a like. If Claude were to see us together, and thought she was Hiro..."

"So, you're saying we trick them." There was nothing but cold, blank, emotionlessness in John's tone as he idly flicked ashes from his cigarette.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. Tell them you saw Hiro with me, make up whatever other shit you like, and have them come with you to 'catch her in the act' or whatever." Borachio replied.

"It might work, but we'd need some other sort of proof." John ran his fingers through his dirty blonde hair "Texts, photos, emails...something."

"Not a problem.".

"And when can you set all that up?"

"Just name the date." John nodded his assent, took one last drag, dropped the cigarette to the ground, then crushed it mercilessly beneath his shoe.

_____________________________________

A few weeks later, most of the basketball team and a few other people (the Coach, Hiro, and Bea) were going out to the local pizza parlor to celebrate after another Messina U victory. Unfortunately, this meant the Coach offered to take Pete, Claude, and Ben in his van. Not surprisingly, Bea and Ben spent most of the ride in a shouting match, but this one was far worse than usual. They hadn't seen each other since the Halloween party, where they had seemed to be getting along - at least as much as could be expected for Bea and Ben. Noone was sure how it happened, or what, (rather, who) had started it, but both parties involved were determined to end it. Which meant it was dragged out mercilessly. Attempts to diffuse the situation turned into pleas for the pair to just shut up, then all efforts to do anything were given up entirely. Once they arrived, everyone rushed quickly out of the car Lion King stampede style, and through the door. Everyone, that is, except Bea and Ben, who were still going at it. When the rest of their group was seated at a table, their argument outside could be heard through the half open window.

"Honestly, do you ever listen to _anything_ anyone else says?!" The exasperation in Ben's voice was very evident.

"If they're worth listening to." Bea shot back. Hiro, seated by the window, bit her lip as she looked out at her cousin, then glanced across the table at her father, who was just as concerned as she was.

"And what makes you so damn sure I'm not?"

"Past experience."

"Oh for god's sake! You're not seriously pulling that crap again, are you? We were just friends!"

"Oh, right." Bea spat bitterly. "'Cause 'just friends' sneak off and make out in the hall behind the music room."

"That was _one_ time!"

"Whatever. Look, Ben. I don't know what you wanna call...whatever the hell this was." Bea said, now standing close enough to glare at him properly. "But don't you _dare_ act like you weren't just biding your time until you got what you were _really_ after." Inside, everyone that heard them exchanged glances. Ben recoiled, looking as though he had been slapped. After a moment he spat out;

"Oh, listen to Little Miss High and Mighty! Tell me, how's the view from the moral high ground?"

"How's your view down there in the gutter?"

"You snob!"

"Ape."

"Prig."

"Clown." He didn't respond right away. "C'mon, Ben, think...faster!" and then he finally said;

"You...miserable..._bitch_." The moment the words were out, he knew he should never had said them. For one brief moment, her hazel eyes swam with tears, but she fought them off valiantly. His hand reached out, he started to apologize, but she interrupted with;

"Look, this isn't getting us anywhere. Let's just go in and...and...try to act normal." Without another glance at him, she turned sharply and walked quickly into the pizza joint. She found Hiro, and whispered something incoherent about the bathroom before hurrying off.

"Oh my goodness." Hiro said simply, eyes wide, still staring out the window watching Ben kick a pebble around. Her father nodded.

"I know."

"I can't believe he _said_ that."

"They provoked each other. Neither of them really meant half of what they said." Leonard replied quietly. The look on his face showed he still wasn't happy about it, though.

"What's their _deal_?" Claude burst out, slamming the table. Beside him, Hiro grabbed his hand.

"_Relax_, Claude."

"Isn't it obvious?" Pete cut in, who had been sitting next to Coach Leo.

"What's obvious?" asked Claude.

"They're crazy about each other."

"Say what?"

"How many exes do _you_ know who still carry on like that after 3 years?"

"We've gotta do something." Hiro murmured thoughtfully. All were silent, thinking, until Pete burst out;

"We've gotta set them up!"

"Are you kidding? They'd kill each other first."

"No, it'll work, trust me." Pete was quiet for a moment as he schemed. "If we set up something so each of them overhears that the other is head over heels for them, and maybe give them a few other little pushes in the right direction..." Hiro looked at him skeptically.

"So, you're saying we trick them?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Author's Note: I know, I know. I kept you waiting for ages, and this update is rather short and decidedly lacking in snarkiness. Not to mention I switched to third person, but it had to be done, and will be used sparingly throughout the rest of the story. Don't worry, Bea and Ben will be back in full force next time. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading and reviewing! - Jane


	5. That's What She Said

Chapter 5

That's What She Said

"Okay, so is everyone clear about what they have to do?" Pete Donaldson asked his coconspirators as they huddled together after basketball practice Tuesday afternoon. "Here's how it's gonna go." He said, with an air very similar to the one he had when he gave his teammates the rundown of their next play. "Coach, I ask you to explain what you and Hiro 'were saying earlier' about Bea, and then you both go on about how you all thought she was doing fine but now that Ben's back she's clearly not over him. Feel free to throw in anything you want about how terribly she's suffering. You know 'crying her eyes out, no sleep'... you get the idea." Leonard clearly didn't think this was the sort of thing a grown man, particularly one now well over 40, should be participating in.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked.

"If it comes from you, Ben's guaranteed to buy it." Pete assured him.

"Well, if it puts an end to their nonsense, then...alright." Coach agreed reluctantly.

"Right, so you're both set?" Father and daughter nodded. "Now Claude, you have to be shocked by everything they say. Praise Bea, and make Ben feel like a dumbass for putting her through all this crap. Cause he is."

"Got it." replied Claude.

"Okay, everyone. He's coming! Places!"

__________________________

Nothing helps me kill a bad mood like practice. It lets you channel the frustration. I run around, sink a few shots, work up a sweat, and I start to feel more like myself again. But today, I felt and played like crap, and alright what happened at the pizza place _may_ have had something to do with it...a lot to do with it. I swear, Beatrice Evans is the cure for sanity. And then there's Claude. Anymore, all he ever talks about is Hiro. Hiro this, Hiro that, Hiro's so smart, Hiro's so sweet, Hiro's so pretty, Hiro can walk on water. He's totally gone soft. And I had such high hopes for him, too! So anyway, since practice wasn't enough I tried to drown my bad mood in the showers. It must've taken longer than I thought, because I've never been the last person out of the locker room before. I creaked open the doors and stopped for a drink at the water fountain just inside the alcove. And then, from around the corner, I heard Pete say;

"So, what's all this about Bea still being hung up on Ben?" I choked on the water and effectively sprayed most of the wall, giving it the most thorough cleaning the place has had in years. You're welcome Mess U janitorial staff! But then I realized whoever else was out there with Pete might have heard me, which would mean_ I_ wouldn't hear anything more. I clamped my hand over my mouth, and slid down against the wall, trying to get as close as I could without being seen. Monty Python has taught me well.

"But she chews him out whenever she sees him!" I heard Claude say.

_EXACTLY!_ ' I mentally agreed, but then noticed there was something...off about his tone. It sounded stiff, forced somehow. I began to wonder if this wasn't one of Pete's pranks. But all doubt vanished as soon as I heard Coach Leo say;

"Well how else is she supposed to deal with him?" If Coach is with them, then it has to be legit. Hiro backed her dad up.

"She can't exactly tell him how she feels. He'd just laugh at her or spout off some nonsense about 'needing his space'." _Okay, ouch Hiro! I thought we were cool?_

"Exactly!" nodded Pete.

"That makes sense." Claude conceded.

"And the fact is, she hasn't dated anyone since things went sour with Ben, and I _know_ it's not for a lack of interested guys." Bea having a fanclub didn't surprise me in the slightest. Her not dating anyone, however, did surprise me. A lot.

"You got that right!" Pete exclaimed. "Honestly, if Ben keeps being such a dumbass, I'm gonna make my move." I was insulted, then shocked by how jealous I suddenly felt. "But, how is she doing? Is she holding up okay since the other night?" I was close enough to the corner to peek out and see what was going on. They were huddled together, expressions grim, they started whispering and I couldn't hear a word. What where they _saying_?!

"Well, she's getting by, but she's been having a really hard time." answered Hiro. "She hasn't been sleeping well at all, she's hardly eating anything, and I've heard her sniffling into her pillow when she thought I was asleep." My stomach squirmed with guilt.

"I thought I saw her with some booze the night of the Halloween party." Claude chimed in.

"Say _what_!" Coach Leo burst out. Bea isn't 21 yet, and I knew she didn't drink. Or...I thought she didn't. There was more whispering, so I inched over behind a rack of basketballs, crawling flat on my stomach.

"I-I'm not _sure_ she was. But it seemed that way..." Claude explained meekly. For some reason, I really, _really_ hoped he was wrong. Coach just shook his head, disappointment written over every feature.

"But, seriously, she's hanging in there?" Pete asked warmly.

"As best she can." Hiro's reply was barely above a whisper.

"Well, that's good," he nodded. "after the other night I was worried she'd..." Pete trailed off. _Do what? _I wanted to know, and I inched closer to hear more. I hit the rack in the process and the squeak of it's wheels echoed across the gym. They all looked around, everywhere but the basketball rack, and resumed their conversation.

"She'd what?"

"I dunno, do...something..._stupid_." Countless horrible _unspeakable_ ideas flooded my mind and I felt the bottom plummet out of my stomach before it tied itself firmly in a knot.. She...she...she wouldn't. Would she? I inched the rack closer to them, slowly so they wouldn't notice, my mind reeling.

Would she really rather _die_ than tell me how she felt? Did she seriously think it would be that awful? Then I thought back to that night at the Pizza joint. Yeah, yeah it would.

"I hope not!" Hiro cried out, obviously horrified by the idea of her cousin committing suicide. '_Me too_' I agreed.

"I know, I know." Pete tried to pacify her. Coach hadn't said anything, but, through the rack I could see the pained look on his face.

"She's got you and your family, and all her friends to help her. She'll get through it." Claude said, making an effort to comfort his girlfriend. Hiro nodded.

"But, poor Bea." Pete said. "It figures a girl like her, who could have any guy she wanted, would fall for a dummy like Ben. And she seemed so smart, too." While I resented being called a 'dummy', I couldn't argue with anything he said about Bea. I tried to inch closer, but the rack let out an ear piercing whine as I shoved it.

"What the hell was that?" Everyone looked around, but they didn't see me, and resumed their conversation.

"I think we should tell him." Claude said.

"Please don't!" Hiro insisted. "It'd only make things worse. We all just have to try to help her get over him."

"Or hope Ben comes to his senses." Coach added. And believe me, I had. It's impossible for me to fully explain the impact of that conversation, but everything suddenly made sense. This was why we couldn't be friends. This was why she was still bitter about what had happened back in High School, and had every right to be.

I waited anxiously to hear more, but no one said anything. The conversation was finished. Which left me in the rather difficult predicament of having to move the basketball rack back near the door to the locker room without being noticed. I heard whispers and funny...clapping, or smacking sounds. I worked as quietly as I could, forcing the rack to slowly inch back to where it had been, cursing every squeak and wobble, miraculously no one seemed to notice. But soon enough I was able to slip back into the alcove to the locker room. I snuck to the door and slammed it loudly before I ran back out into the gym.

"There you are." Coach said. "Bout time! We can lock up now!"

"Sorry to keep you all waiting. My cell had disappeared, had to look everywhere for it."

"Took you_ forever_." Pete complained overdramatically. "And here we figured the Mothership had come to take you home."

"Pete! You weren't supposed to tell anyone about that! And you know that when the Mothership comes you're totally going with me." How I managed to joke around after everything I had just heard is beyond me.

The conversation turned to our chances of making the championship, but rather than wholeheartedly agree with everyone's optimism, I was silent, dribbling a basketball that had been missed in our after-practice cleanup. For once, the subject didn't interest me. As we all began to slowly make our way out I trailed behind the group, still thinking about what I'd heard earlier.

It was hard to believe, but it had to be true. Somehow, Bea still cared about me. And what's a guy to do when he finds out a hot, funny, smart girl still likes him after 3 years of crap? Like her back of course! Almost to the door with the ball in my hand, I turned back, jumped, and sank it in the net.

I was back in the game!

Author's Note: This might be my quickest update yet! Yeah, you're welcome. XD I have to say, I think this is my favorite chapter title yet, and I'm pretty sure Ben would say so too. Michael Scott would be proud. XD I can't tell you how much I wish you all could _see_ that scene in the gym. Cause Ben looked like a total idiot, sticking his head out constantly, making all sorts of noise... They all could see him...and had a hard time trying not to laugh. He's not as slick as he thinks. XD And as far as Bea goes, he really didn't need much convincing, did he? ; ) Thanks for reading and reviewing, I hope you enjoyed it!


	6. That's What HE Said?

Chapter 6

That's What _He_ Said?

Sometimes I really hate my life. And my Uncle. If I were still living with them, Aunt Kishomi would totally have my back here. But I wasn't, and I wasn't going to be juvenile and make her deal with my issues. What issues, you ask? Ben issues. What else? Uncle Leo realized that he had forgotten to give him the schedule for the upcoming practices and games. He had some meeting to get to, so guess who had to trek across campus to deliver a stupid piece of paper to the most insufferable jackass ever to walk the planet? Go on, guess.

But I had a plan. I was just gonna slip it under the door to his dorm and be on my merry way. He would get it, and no one would _ever_ know I had been there. So, I got out of the car and walked toward his building, relishing the sound of the last fall leaves crunching under my boots. It was late fall now, November was fast coming to an end, and there was a definite chill in the air. I pulled my newsboy cap down further, and tugged my coat tight. Once through the parking lot I flashed my ID at the security guard by the door, and marched through the lobby and up the stairs. All the dorm halls are set up the same at Mess U, so it wasn't hard to find his dorm since I had the room number. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of his door.

_Okay, Bea. You can do this. Just slip it under and go._ Easier said than done, I soon discovered. No matter what I did, the paper would not go through! What the hell?! I kept trying, but no matter what I did, there was no forcing it under that door, probably because of the rubber buffer on the bottom. Just my luck. I wanted to just leave this godforsaken schedule out there in the hall and just walk away, really, I should have. But Uncle Leo needed me to do this. A sudden thought gave me some hope; Ben might not be there, or even if he was, it might be a roommate who answered the door. There was still a chance I wouldn't have to talk to him. I took a steadying breath, put my fist to the door, and prayed that I would be spared. But clearly, luck was not on my side. The door swung open and I was face to face with Ben.

"Bea? What are you doing here?" There was a mixture of surprise and utter confusion in his expression. His eyes were wide, and I was suddenly struck again by just how blue they were. I forced myself to look down at the floor. Eye contact was dangerous.

"Uncle Leo forgot to give you the new schedule." I explained, shoving it at him. "He had some meeting he couldn't miss...something uninteresting about sports funding. So he asked me to drop it off."

"Right." He nodded. "He mentioned something about that."

"Well, you know, as head of the athletic department, it might be a good idea for him to make sure they get the money they need." He chuckled lightly, then smirked.

"Yeah, probably." I nodded, then turned to go, trying to ignore the fact that I could hear The Shins playing from inside his dorm.

"Wait, Bea." _What now?_ I turned around, eyebrow raised. Then he said, "Thanks."

"For what?" He waved the schedule.

"For dropping it off."

"Believe me, if it had been any trouble, I wouldn't have bothered." I rolled my eyes. What was he playing at?

"Well, still. I appreciate it." Okay, either he had received some pretty heavy brain damage since I'd seen him last, or I had been transported to the Twilight zone. "And um..." he ran his fingers through his hair, clearly feeling awkward. "I'm...I'm sorry about Saturday night." Okay, body snatchers might also be a possibility. I looked up at him again, trying to tell if he was sane. Bad idea. But seriously, I didn't wanna talk about what had happened at the pizza place. Bringing it up didn't change what happened, or make it better. Besides, why was he suddenly being nice?

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"The polite crap." I explained. "Knock it off."

"What are you talking about?"

"We have a system. You make a stupid comment, I insult you, you try to turn it around, and we go on from there until you run out of things to say. That's how it works." He leaned in, tilted up the brim of my hat just slightly and looked me straight in the eye. My feet were suddenly glued to the floor.

"Well, maybe I've had it with the mind games." If you ask me, he was taking them to another level. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks and immediately looked down at my boots. I haven't blushed in over three years. I mumbled something along the lines of,

"Well, maybe you're just crazy." and with that, he said good night and shut the door.

I spent the entire walk back to my car, and the ride back to my dorm trying to figure out what had just happened. In addition to all the other options I mentioned before, I added insanity and drug use as possible explanations for how Ben had acted back there. Or he figured out it was a lot harder to hate his guts when he wasn't being a jackass. Diabolical S.O.B. Guys make absolutely no sense.

I sighed in relief as I pulled up outside my dorm a few minutes later. It was Friday night, and we were having a movie marathon. Just the thing to take my mind off the whole mess. I opened my door and walked into a sea of pillows and blankets with the odd bag of chips or bowl of popcorn floating on top. Hiro came barreling at me and gave me a bear hug, already clad in adorkable pink satin Pjs,

"You're here!"

"Were you expecting someone else?"

"Bea! About time you showed up!"

"Mags! Tina! Hey!" Tina is Margaret's roommate. She's a short, slightly pudgy girl with a sweet smile and a heart of gold. Her greatest loves in life are chocolate and _The Notebook_. You wouldn't think they'd get along well, but Mags drags her out of her shell, taking her to parties and stuff, and Tina keeps Mags from totally going off the handle...sometimes. It's one of those odd couple type relationships that make so sense, yet somehow works anyway. I flopped down in the thick of the mess.

"So, how's everyone doing?"

"Alright." Margaret said, tossing a piece of popcorn into her mouth. "Did I tell you I'm back together with Rick Borachio?" Judging by the worried expression on Tina's face I could tell she thought about as highly of him as I did.

"Really, Mags?" I asked, crinkling my nose. "He hangs out with John Donaldson, who always seems like he's up to something. I've always thought they both seemed like bad news." She just laughed.

"You all worry too much."

"I dunno..." Tina said.

"So, anyway," Mags cut in, clearly trying to distract us. "What movie are we kicking things off with? Hiro and Tina want _27 Dresses_." Just then Hiro's cell rang.

"Hi." she mumbled shyly. It had to be Claude. "I'm fine, you?" Mags and I rolled our eyes. She's got the poor boy wrapped around her finger, he calls her _constantly_. Tina thinks it's sweet. The rest of us think it's nauseating. "I told you, sweetie it's just a night in with the girls." She sighed quietly. "There's nothing to worry about, Claude, I promise." And that was the other thing, she couldn't go anywhere near guys anymore without Claude having some kind of coronary episode. It's ridiculous. But she quelled his paranoia soon enough, and got off the phone.

"Okay, so, who wants some pizza?!" I burst out. "I say we call up Alfredo's and order the unhealthiest thing on their menu."

"Well, wait. Make sure it's the _good_ Alfredo's. The one on State Ave. was disgusting," Mags reminded me.

"No worries. I only have the number for the good one saved in my cellphone. So, what are we getting on it?"

"I'm fine with whatever topping." Tina said. Mags rolled her eyes.

"Tina likes mushroom. I vote pepperoni."

"We did pepperoni last week."

"Ham and Pineapple?" Hiro suggested. We all looked at each other.

"PERFECT!"

Half an hour later, the movie was in, and we were all clustered around the TV, the delivery box empty, slices of pizza in our hands.

"Ya know." Maggie said, gesturing to the guy onscreen. "He kinda reminds of that dude you were dancing with at Halloween." A piece of Dorito lodged in my throat.

"What do you mean?" I coughed.

"That DiPadua guy. He looks like him. And he's funny, too." I tried to shrug it off, but I couldn't totally deny the accuracy of her statement. Didn't stop me from trying, though.

"If you say so, Mags." Ben was following me around like a contagious disease. If I wasn't actually seeing him, someone else was talking about him.

"Who are you talking about?" Tina asked. Maggie immediately explained;

"Oh you know, the really hot guy who made that three point shot at the last basketball game."

"Oh, right." Tina nodded. Somehow, Mag's comment irked me.

"What happened to Rick, Mags?!" I had to laugh.

"Hey, I tried to make my move at that party but nothing happened. We danced, flirted, and all but he had his eyes on s_omeone else_ the whole time." She gave me a meaningful look as she emphasized the last part of that statement. I stood up, and paused the movie.

"Bathroom break." I said, as I quickly scrambled over the piles of pillows to grab my Pjs from the drawer. "Plus, I need to get changed. Be right back." I hurried off before she could say anything more. I heard the door click behind me and breathed a sigh of relief. Free at last! I splashed some cold water on my face, and wished it would wash his face from my mind. They started whispering among themselves, then I heard;

"Mags." Hiro said. "Don't push it."

"What? He's a hot, funny guy," _Hot, funny asshole with a stupid goatee._ I mentally corrected her. "And he's totally into her." _Say WHAT? _Clearly Margaret has been living on some other planet.

"Who?" Tina asked. "Bea?"

"I told you Mags." Hiro whispered. "Something happened with them back in High School, all they do is argue now. You shouldn't bring him up."

"They weren't arguing at that party." She said meaningfully. I fought off flashbacks from Halloween.

"Well, Claude told me Ben likes her, but you know how Bea is. He blew his shot three years ago." Hang up, Claude told her _what_? This had to be some kind of joke. But then again, it would explain how bizarre he was acting earlier.

Then Hiro continued, "Pete said Ben hasn't _really_ dated anyone since her." This defied all belief. Ben DiPadua _not_ trying to get into the pants of every blonde bimbo who crossed his path? I started looking for a flying pig.

But Hiro wasn't done. "They also said his playing has been _seriously_ off lately." _Nothing_ throws off Ben's game. "I know he feels bad about what happened, and it _was_ a while ago. Sometimes I wonder if..."

"If what?" asked Tina.

"If it's good for Bea to cling to resentment like she has. It can't be healthy. Maybe she should give him another chance."

"If she felt the same way." Mags sighed.

"I dunno." said Tina thoughtfully. "The fact that she's still angry about what he did makes me think she must still care. I mean, would _you_ get so worked up over someone who meant nothing to you?" I froze as this hit home, my toothbrush suddenly going still in my mouth. I could deny that I was attracted to Ben, but that would be lying. Fact was, I was using my anger to protect myself from being hurt again...and then there was the not so tiny part of me that enjoyed seeing him squirm. But they were right, maybe I _had_ been a bit too harsh.

"All I'm saying is she'd be an idiot to let a guy like that slip away." Have I mentioned that Maggie is occasionally just a bit blunt? But I was now changed into pajamas, and hair and teeth were brushed. It was time to go back out there, and act like I hadn't heard them. My hand shook just a little before I grabbed the handle and stepped out.

"Alright, intermission over." I said, smiling too brightly to be genuine, but they didn't notice. I put on a ridiculous announcer voice. "Please return to your seats so we can resume tonight's presentation." They giggled, and we all crowded around the screen. The movie was a lot better than I thought it would be; clever and really funny. At least in the first half. Then plot got totally ridiculous midway through and never recovered. I stewed over what I'd heard while we watched the stash of movies we'd set aside. But before we knew it, the movies had been watched, it was hours past midnight, and no one could keep their eyes open anymore. We turned the lights off and it wasn't long before I heard a chorus of soft shallow breathing and knew everyone was asleep. As I laid there, staring up at the ceiling in the darkness, I came to a decision.

'_Alright, Ben.' _I thought. _'I'll give you one more shot. I'll cut you some slack and we'll see where things go from there. The ball's in your court.'_ Good Lord, did I just use a sports metaphor? TWO metaphors? I buried my face in my pillow.

_________________________________

An hour later, Hiro sat just outside the door to her dorm smiling with her cellphone on her ear.

"Yeah, we did it." she whispered, exhausted but happy. "Maggie and Tina really helped." A pause. "Honestly, I feel sorta guilty for interfering like this...Yeah, I know it's for the best." She nodded. "Uh huh. She hasn't said anything, but I think we pulled it off." A tiny giggle. "I think it's safe to say Bea and Ben will sort things out from here. Night sweetie."

Author's Note: Hey! So, remember what I said about last time being my fastest update? Well, I lied! XD But c'mon now, I couldn't leave you all hanging. And just to warn you, the next chapter is gonna take a bit longer. Gotta get things moving with John's scheme. _ And in case you were wondering, Tina is Ursula. I had to change her name or you'd all be picturing a giant octopus woman. Don't lie, you know you would be thinking _Little Mermaid_ too. But poor Bea, Ben stops acting like an ass for one day and it totally throws her for a loop. XD Anyway, thanks for reading! And please, let me know what you think! Unlike totalitarian regimes, I like opinions. I dip them in ketchup.


	7. Welcome to Awkward Central

Chapter 7

Welcome to Awkward Central

"Hold up, _what_ happened to your car?" I mumbled nearly incomprehensibly into the phone. "Somebody crashed into it while we were in the movie!" Claude explained. "We got out to the parking lot and there's damage to the hood on the driver's side, my door is banged up – won't open, and whatever happened to the front the car won't start. I'm sorry to wake you up, Ben, but we've got no other way back." I ran my hand through my hair, disheveling it further.

"No, _really_ Claude?" I said, my sarcasm returning with my coherence. "And here I thought this was all how you planned your evening to turn out."

"Dude, I'm serious."

"No, I know. Have you called for a towtruck, or your insurance company or something?"

"I couldn't get a hold of anyone! They're all closed!" It _was_ after midnight.

"Damn. The further away you get from the city, the earlier everything shuts down. Alright, look. Get into the car through one of the non-damaged doors, and grab anything important, your registration, insurance documents, any spare cash you might have left in there..."

"Yeah, okay." Claude mumbled. "Right."

"and of course your drugs and the gun in the glove compartment."

"_Ben_!" Clearly Claude didn't find my joke as funny as I did.

"Just trying to lighten the mood a little." I returned. "But yeah, grab anything you might need, or don't wanna leave in there, and head back inside the Theater with Hiro. It's gotta be freezing out there, it's December for crying out loud. You're at that joint across town that just reopened?"

"Yeah, used to be The Waverley."

"Got it. You both get back inside ASAP, I'll be there in about 20 minutes. Then, when we get back, I will kick your ass." With that I hung up, threw on a hat, my Chucks, and my coat and scarf over my pajamas, then grabbed my keys and was out the door.

It wasn't until they both were in the car when Hiro called Bea and was explaining what happened to her on her cell that it really hit me that I was also gonna have to drop Hiro off. To her dorm. With Bea.

"Yeah, Claude's gonna try calling his insurance and all that again first thing tomorrow." she nodded. "We're all fine Bea, be back soon." I heard her phone snap shut.

"She worried?" I asked, looking back at Hiro through the center mirror as I drove.

"A little, but she knows everything's okay." Even so, I was not looking forward to possibly facing Bea when I dropped Hiro off. I didn't really know what to think after our last meeting. Despite what I'd overheard Bea hadn't been exactly encouraging. Not that that changed how I felt, but it made me really uncertain about what to do from there. I noticed that Hiro hadn't mentioned me by name when she told Bea that Claude had asked 'a friend' for a ride, also not a good sign. I tried to think about other things.

"I still can't believe someone would do that to a car and not even leave a note or something with their information." I finally said to Claude, who nodded vehemently.

"I know, right?What the hell?!"

"And beyond that, I don't even know how they could have gotten away, their car must've taken damage too."

"You'd think, wouldn't you? It's bizarre." Hiro nodded in agreement. After that, things settled into a sleepy silence for the remainder of the ride, aside from Claude and Hiro whispering to each other a few times.

"Okay, here you are, Hiro." I finally said when we pulled up. She unbuckled her seat belt, and Claude hopped out to open the door for her in a zombified revival of chivalry. Once they were both out, they turned and looked at me.

"Well?" Claude said.

"Well, what? Oh! Good night, Hiro."

"Aren't you coming, too?" _Shit! Go and enter Awkward Central? I THINK NOT!_

"Um...no. It's pretty late."

"Come on."

"I don't think it's a good idea." _Or a safe one._

"Oh please," Claude laughed. "Are you chicken?" I looked up at him through the window. No one calls me chicken.

"Hell no." And that was it. Before I knew it I had gotten out of the car, gone inside, and was standing with them at the door. _Her_ door. Hiro's hand had barely touched it when it burst open and Bea (somehow still looking amazing in just an old Regina Spektor concert tee and pajama pants) nearly tackled her, shouting;

"You're alive!" as they both fell to the floor. We all laughed. "I'm so glad you're both okay. " She said as she got up and offered Hiro a hand "Though, you won't be if it happens again." she glared playfully at her cousin before she turned to Claude and said.

"I'm sorry about your car, that really sucks. No idea who did it?" Claude shook his head.

"All we can say for sure is that whoever did it is a jackass." he said.

"Well, _that_ certainly narrows it down." Bea quipped with a chuckle. "How did you both get..." then she saw me, the laugh disappeared, and her eyes went wide. "...back." I wished I could tell what she was thinking.

"Claude asked me to pick them up." I said lamely.

She nodded, "Oh okay...thank you." and brushed a stray strand of hair that had escaped from her bun away from her eyes. Her hair never stayed in place for long, I suddenly remembered. 3 years ago, I'd made a habit of wrapping that strand around my finger. She looked uncertainly from me to her cousin, to Claude, then back at me, as if wanting (rather, demanding) further explanation. I wish I could have given it to her. She was handling it well (better than me, I'm sure), but I still could tell she felt uncomfortable. I caught her biting her lip. But that didn't stop her from smiling at us and saying;

"You all must be freezing! How 'bout you all come in for a minute and warm up? Unless you're going for the blue frostbitten look." I was about to refuse when Claude answered;

"Thanks!" And as I had to take him home, I had no choice but to follow him and Hiro inside where we were greeted by the sound of laughter coming from the far end of the room.

"Come in, take your coats off, and pull up some floor. Craig Ferguson's on if you wanna watch." Bea said, gesturing towards the TV, which explained the laughter. I should have known, she'd always been a die hard fan. "Any of you guys want anything hot to drink?" She called to us while rummaging in a cabinet for mugs. "Tea, Cocoa?"

"Cocoa please." Hiro asked.

"I'll take some too." Claude said, smiling at his girlfriend. They both looked at me.

"I'll pass." I said, a moment before we all laughed out loud at one of Craig's jokes. We heard the beeping of the microwave, and a minute later Bea brought over the drinks. She gave Hiro and Claude their cocoas, then handed me a mug of tea.

"But I said..." She just shook her head, making it clear there was no point arguing about it. Besides, I _was_ still kinda cold. The heating in the dorms isn't the greatest. She looked over at her cousin, who was whispering intently with Claude, took a sip of her own tea, then turned to me with a grin as uncertain as it was mischievous and said quietly;

"You seem to be missing something."

"Huh?"

"The obnoxious goatee." she took another sip from her mug, not looking me in the eye. Figures she would mention that. I had gotten rid of it. After all, you can only take so much crap over something like that before you decide it's more trouble than it's worth...and then there's the small fact that she _may_ have been right about me not really pulling it off.

"Oh, yeah." I finally replied. "Well, you _did_ say Robert Downey Jr. wanted it back." We both nearly spat out our drinks from laughter.

"So, you've opted for the Jim Halpert look instead?" Bea asked. I had almost forgotten about my new haircut and though that wasn't the intention when I got it, now that she brought it up, I had to acknowledge the resemblance. Of course, I was far from begrudging a reference to The Office, much less being told I looked like my favorite character.

"I guess you're right." I agreed. Then I looked at her closely, trying to read her expression. "Is that a compliment? Because I'm taking it as one." I heard her snort quietly into her tea.

"You _would_." she laughed, and we locked eyes for a moment. But then there was a faint, strange noise and we both looked over and saw Hiro and Claude staring at us. With that, the chance for any real conversation came crashing to an end. We all sat in awkward silence drinking our tea and cocoa, watching Craig, and once we were done our drinks Claude and I said our goodbyes. The most I got from Bea was another thank you for rescuing her cousin and her boyfriend. But, I couldn't help smiling as I got back into my car, despite the unsatisfactory end of the evening, and the frigid winter air.

_'Well, she definitely doesn't hate me.'_

___________________________________________

[ **Author's Note:** Hey there! Remember me? I'm sorry for disappearing for so long, I got attacked by a horrible, absolutely vicious case of writer's block. With rabies. And I know what you're thinking, 'Hey, Jane! This bit wasn't in the play!' I warned you there'd be tweaking, but it sort of is in the play. There are a few scenes that try to set up Bea and Ben's mutual non-hatred. XD I just came up with my own way of doing it. Anyway, we've officially passed the halfway point! Yay! So, please, buckle up your seatbelts ladies and gents, this ride's about to get a bit bumpy next chapter. ; ) See you then! And as always, thanks for reading and reviewing! ]


	8. Poisoned Rationality

Chapter 8

Poisoned Rationality

_Hey Ben, it's Bea. Sorry this is kinda out of the blue, but I've been thinking that maybe we should talk and_

"No."

_DiPadua, what's the deal with this rumor going around that you don't have a date to the Championship party? Becky Powers not available? _

"Too snarky."

_I know things've been awkward, but unless you fell off the face of the earth or something, care to explain going totally incommunicado? Bea._

"Care to explain why it matters to me?" I grumbled at my phone as I snapped it shut once again after what felt like the thousandth failed attempt to text Ben since that night he dropped Hiro off. It had seemed like we were patching things up, but I hadn't seen or heard from him in weeks. Part of me wanted to demand an explanation, part of me wanted to ignore it all and see if he would make the first move, and what was left of me after all that wished I didn't care. The only thing that made any sense to me was the fact that none of it did. That, and I had completely lost my mind. I slumped over my desk with a groan. I heard the door click, but didn't bother lifting my head when Hiro walked in. Honestly, I felt like slamming it against the desk. Repeatedly.

"Bea. Everything alright?" I felt her tiny hand gently grip my shoulder.

"Peachy." I grumbled. "Just. Fucking. Peachy."

"Finals prep getting to you?"

"...Yeah." Right, the least of my worries.

"Well, I was gonna go on a Starbucks run with Maggie before the game tonight. Wanna come? Seems like you could use a pick me up."

"Shit! The game's tonight?"

"It's in two hours." She answered, after checking her phone.

"Shit!...No, I'm not going."

"You know Dad won't have that. If you don't go willingly, he'll drag you kicking and screaming." Damn Uncle Leo and his bizarre notions of family support.

"Yeah. Tell you what," I said, rummaging in my purse. "I'll stay here, but could you grab me a caramel frapp with skim while you're there? I gotta get myself together." I handed her the cash.

"Sure. No prob."

"Thanks, you're my hero." Though I was sincerely grateful, I still smirked, and Hiro rolled her eyes.

"You just refuse to let that pun die, don't you."

"It just never gets old. Blame your parents."

"I do. Every day. But mostly I blame you." she chuckled.

"I love you, too!" I called after her as she shut the door. I had no idea how I was gonna deal with seeing Ben at the game, My and at whatever post game festivities were sure to follow, but a shower would be a good idea to start getting ready, and with the promise of a caramel frappuccino to motivate me, I could take on the world.

We got to the game just in time, which thankfully meant I was spared having to deal with anybody actually involved with the team. However, I was tortured in other ways. In the middle of the game I felt the jab of an elbow dig into my left side and heard

"What's up, Bea? You seem out of it." from Maggie next to be on the bleachers.

"End of semester burnout." Hiro answered for me, from my right.

"Too much time studying _Benedict_ine abbeys." Maggie said with a knowing look.

"_Excuse_ me?" Though she tried to claim she was only referring to my Art History class, the way she looked over at Ben as she made the comment (and eyed him like a piece of meat) I knew that wasn't what she meant.

"_Somebody's_ feeling awfully defensive."

"Well, _somebody_ seems to have the wrong idea." I hissed.

"Or someone's in denial, and I don't mean the river in Egypt. I'm not blind, Bea." Which made me wonder exactly what she thought she was seeing. Well, okay, maybe I was paying a bit more attention to him than the rest of the game, but that doesn't mean anything. I thought for a moment, and finally said;

"Obviously, your vision is _so_ good, you see things that _aren't actually there._ Very impressive, Mags." Unfortunately, right after I said that Ben chose, of all moments, to look over at us from across the court. His timing, as always, was terrible. But not nearly as bad as the 'I told you so' look Maggie shot me. As soon as the game was over and the crowd had begun to disperse I dashed away to prevent her from trying to continue the conversation.

"Hey Uncle Leo! Great game!" I said, skidding into a hug.

"Whoa! Oh, hi, Bea! Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" I have rarely seen anything animate Uncle Leo like basketball.

"Totally. So, I just wanted to congratulate you before I headed off."

"Leaving? I just ordered food for the gang at halftime! It'll be here any minute"

_Shit._

"Well, I...uh...alright." Within 5 minutes, a very well tipped delivery boy was pulling out of the parking lot, and everyone inside the gym was grabbing their share of the food, myself included. I started to eat, but couldn't go very long before checking the time on my cell. Nearly 8:30. Damn.

I looked up and saw that once again, Ben was watching me. He turned away once I caught his eye, but a moment later I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I flipped it open and read;

_That's the second time in 15 minutes you've checked your phone. Stop stressing about the time, The Office is a repeat tonight, anyway._

When I looked up at him this time, he was smirking.How did he still remember my TV viewing habits?I wondered. Well, granted, his were similar. I blew off the thought, rolled my eyes, and replied;

_But it's the one when Jim puts Andy's phone in the ceiling which, sorry, is more important than sinking a ball in a net. Take up Flonkerton?_

_ Say no more! Totally understood. That Rockin' Robin Ringtone? Classic. And Classy. Btw, I am BOSS at Flonkerton. B.O.S.S._

_ Bull, DiPadua. But at least it's good to know we're in agreement on Andy's choice of ringtone._

He didn't respond to the text as quickly as the others, and I had nearly given up expecting a reply when I finally recieved;

_ Do you have a date to the party Saturday?_

_Are you asking me to go?_ I typed frantically, then kept my eyes glued to the floor as I waited for the response, not wanting to stare at my phone, or, worse, him.

_ Are you accepting?_

_ Maybe?_

_ Then...it's a date!_

Holy. Shit. Holy. Shit. Breathe! And damn him for throwing in another Office reference. Well, two can play that game.

_I'm sorry, what was the question?_ I saw him read my reply, and laugh. However, I had more to say.

_Seriously, Ben, I dunno. We have a lot of things to talk over._ He caught my eye after he read my response and nodded.

_I know, but that would be as good a time as any, right?_

_ I guess. Okay, then. You're on._

I was torn between dreading Saturday, and thinking it couldn't get here fast enough.

"YOU'RE _LYING_!" snarled Claude as he slammed John Donaldson against the wall of the locker room where they had stayed after practice. John didn't wince with the pain. He relished it.

"Look, I know it's hard to believe – especially when you don't want to." he began.

"It's_ impossible_ to believe." Claude's voice remained a low growl. "Hiro would never -"

"_Would_ she?" John whispered Claude's thought. "What reason could I possibly have to lie to you? We're teammates, Claude."

"There's no reason." Claude finally agreed after a moment of consideration. At least, he couldn't think of any. But if he weren't so wound up he might have noticed that this was the first time John ever gave the impression of caring about anyone.

"There's no reason for you to lie." Claude said again,"But there's no reason for her to do that either!"

"I can't explain Hiro's motives. I just wanted to warn you."

"Hiro and Rick Borachio, John? Really? I don't think so. People _do_ start all sorts of rumors."

"It's no rumor. I have proof." Claude's eyes widened, his jaw set.

"Proof?" He asked, simply.

"It's in my bag." John said. Then, when finally freed to rummage his locker, extracted a folder from the depths of his backpack. "I saw them together one night, and a few days later Rick went out for a bit and left his laptop on. I found these and printed them out." He handed Claude an email from Hiro's school account addressed to Rick. John felt a sick sort of joy watching Claude's expression as he read the email the fictional Hiro sent, fondly reminiscing about all her encounters with Rick in explicit detail, how easy it had been to pull the wool over Claude's eyes while they snuck off, and what all she intended to do to (and with) Rick the next time she saw him. It had all been so simple – hacking into her email account had been a piece of cake. Claude swallowed it all.

"She attached picture files to it too, though I don't know that you want to see..."

"Hand. Them. Over." Claude forced the words out between clenched teeth. John gladly obliged. Altering those shots had been child's play – some simple edits to background and swimwear and suddenly perfectly innocent shots from Hiro's vacation to the beach last summer were mutated into suggestive photos of her in her room wearing nothing but skimpy lingerie. Thank god for Photoshop. John tried hard not to smile as he watched Claude's world shatter into a million tiny pieces.

"I'm so sorry, Claude." His tone and his eyes held no real sympathy, but Claude was too distraught to notice as he slowly backed away and sank onto a bench, his face in his hands before he turned back to look at John and murmured helplessly;

"How could she...What do I _do_?" Finally, the moment John had been waiting for.

"Well, you're gonna have to confront her. She's tricked you – horribly. She's made a mockery of your relationship. You can't let her to get away with that, can you?" Claude slammed his fist.

"Of course not."

"Exactly." John agreed. "Well, we've got the team Championship celebration coming up and you were saying you'd invited her. You'll wanna send her packing before then, of course." Claude's eyes suddenly flashed with wrathful cruelty.

"Or turn the tables on her by calling her out on all of this in front of everyone! Then she'd see how it feels to be humiliated!" A malicious smile spread across John's face. He put an arm around Claude's shoulder.

"I like the way you think, my friend." He'd have to call Rick and let him know there'd be no need for a 'show' tonight with him and the unsuspecting Maggie. Claude had fallen for it all already. Saturday couldn't come fast enough.

Author's Note:

I'm back! And yeah, just when you think it's sorting out, John starts throwing a wrench in the works. Stay tuned, thanks for reading and reviewing! :)


	9. The Shit Hath Hitteth the Fan

Chapter 9

The Shit Hath Hitteth the Fan

When Saturday night rolled around it found the gym packed full of teammates, their friends and family - all celebrating the Messina U Knights first basketball championship in over 16 years despite the beginnings of a pretty decent snowstorm. Everyone seemed some combination of proud for the team and excited for the party, and while I did feel both of those things, my overwhelming emotion was nervousness. I'd agreed for good reason when Bea said we needed to talk, but knowing it needed to be done didn't stop the writhing of my stomach. We'd made peace, so I felt pretty sure that whatever happened tonight, we'd still be friends, but a lot had been said and done that needed to be sorted out. I hadn't seen a trace of Bea, and I'd been at the party for over half an hour making small talk with a few people and hoping I wasn't wandering around the place as aimlessly as my thoughts seemed to be. I knew I was out of it when a sudden tap on the shoulder nearly made me jump out of my skin.

"Nervous?" I heard Bea ask from behind me. I turned around and only managed to sputter out a "Not really" before I actually saw her and temporarily lost my ability to speak. She had pinned her hair back at the sides, and what was left loose cascaded in curls down her neck, and over the one shoulder left exposed by her dress . She looked at me, raised an eyebrow, and said quietly,

"Liar."

"What makes you say that?" I asked. Normally I would have flat out denied it, but that red dress made it difficult to think clearly, let alone argue. She looked amazing.

"You've got your hands fisted and buried in your pockets. Dead giveaway." I had to laugh, then asked,

"Did you just get here?"

"No, but I had to make the rounds with the family, say hello to the guests and all that." Of course. Technically, Coach was throwing this party.

"Ah the joys of being a hostess."

"Do I detect sarcasm in your tone, Mr. DiPadua?"

"Me?" I smirked, affectedly affronted. "Never!"

She rolled her eyes and aimed a halfhearted playful swat at my shoulder. "Shut up." Normally, I'm the last person to go along with such an order, but we both suddenly seemed to find ourselves at a loss for words. Or rather, there was too much to say, and neither of us knew how to begin.

"Look, umm..." Bea started, but whatever she was going to say, she stopped as loud shouting began to echo around the gym from somewhere nearby. We both turned sharply and saw Claude chewing out Hiro in the middle of the crowd. What on earth was going on?

"What the hell?" and we both took off towards them. Bea made for Hiro, and stood beside her while I put a hand on Claude's shoulder, which he promptly shrugged off.

"Yo, Claude, chill out. What's the deal?"

"Chill out? CHILL OUT? SHE'S BEEN GOING BEHIND MY BACK WITH ANOTHER GUY!" Hiro went dead white. She and Bea looked absolutely horrified.

"Claude, how could you possibly think..." she began as she reached for his hand, but he pulled away. "I would never – God, I can't even _say_ it!"

"You don't have to! I know _everything_."

"Everything?" Hiro said firmly, cheeks flushed. "What 'everything'? There's nothing to know!"

"Oh, don't give me that bullshit. I saw the proof. I know all about your secret hookups, the emails, the photos, all of it." Hiro stepped back and gasped out quietly;

"Emails? - to who? What photos? I don't know what you're talking about, Claude." As if things weren't bad enough, Coach had worked his way through the crowd and found us.

"What's going on here? Florentino, you're making a scene."

"What's going on, _Coach_," Claude spat out with venom as I did my best to hold him back "is that _your daughter_ is a -"

"DON'T. YOU. DARE!" Beatrice shouted, stepping forward.

"Oh, of course you take _her_ side." hissed Claude. Beatrice's eyes narrowed, and I could tell she was about to really let Claude have it, but before she said anything, Coach Leo shouted,

"I will not have you disrespect my daughter or my niece like this! How dare you!"

"Your daughter doesn't deserve respect from anyone, after what she's been doing!"

"EXCUSE ME?"

"Knock it off, Claude." I told him sternly. "Don't make an even bigger ass of yourself." I could see Hiro leaning into Beatrice for strength, her mouth opening and closing without a sound like a fish gasping for breath, words, or something completely beyond them. Tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"How could you do this to me, Claude?" she finally choked out, her face now twisted in an expression of crippling anguish. She turned sharply and ran towards the back exit of the gym. The doors crashed open, then half a second later there was a shriek followed by a terrible thud.

"Oh my god! Hiro!" and with that her parents and Bea ran after her, followed closely by Claude, Pete, myself, and for some strange reason, John. When I got outside, I saw Hiro collapsed on the back steps, unconscious, a cut on her head, and a heel broken off her shoe. She must have tripped. Her mother was horrified, her father looked as if he'd seen a ghost. Bea dialed 911 with a shaking hand.

"Yes, please help, my cousin fell and hit her head! She's unconscious, and bleeding pretty badly." Bea gasped into the phone, then shouted at the people nearby,

"Quick! Someone get a cloth! We have to stop the blood!" people scattered and searched frantically while she continued on the phone. As I searched for something to help Hiro, I heard her behind me, saying

"We're at the Messina U Gymnasium, on the back steps. Please, hurry!" Suddenly, I had an idea.

"Pete!" I shouted. "Did we have any clean towels left in the locker room?"

"We might!" he nodded, and we both sprinted across the gym towards it, and as we got to the doors, I stopped him.

"What about ice packs, or at least the first aid kit?"

"In my office!" Coach called from outside the doorway. "Quickly!"

"I'll get towels, you find the kit." Pete decided, we nodded, and split up. I bolted through Coach's door, found the First Aid kit in the top drawer of his desk, and ran back. I handed the pack to Coach, and then

"I've got the towels!" Pete called, as he tore across the room. A smaller one was folded and gently pressed against the cut, while another was put cautiously behind Hiro's head, to elevate it slightly and lessen the flow.

"What can I do?" Claude asked sheepishly.

"You can get the hell out of here." answered Coach icily. "I think you've done quite enough." Claude walked away, and was barely out of sight when we heard the sirens for the ambulance.

"Thank God! Hiro, you're gonna be okay." Hiro's mother whispered to her still unconscious daughter." We're gonna get you to a hospital. Over here!" She called as she waved the paramedics over, just loud enough to be heard, but hopefully not loud enough to distress her daughter. She was still dabbing at the wound with one hand, the other clutching tightly to Coach's.

"Alright, sweetheart, the ambulance is here to take you to the Hospital." she said quietly.

"Well, first, let's see what shape she's in." said one EMT, as he brought over a gurney .

"Looks like she slipped on the steps and was knocked out." Coach informed them as another paramedic knelt down beside Hiro.

"How long has she been out?"

"5,10 minutes?

"Okay, well, then." she said, gently lifting Hiro's eyelids and shining a light into her eyes, then scanning the cut. "The wound isn't real large, or very deep, but there's some blood loss, which isn't unusual for an injury like this. We'll need to watch out for a concussion, or any other possible internal head trauma." the EMT said. "Now, I'm sorry, what's the young lady's name?"

"This is our daughter, Hiro."

"So you're the Mom and Dad. Well, it's very nice to meet you, though I'm sure we all wish the circumstances were different. I'm Lanie."

"Is she going to be okay?" Her father asked quietly.

"She'll need a good looking over at the Hospital, and definitely an MRI or a CAT scan, and I won't tell you things aren't pretty serious, but hopefully they aren't as bad as they seem. The sooner she wakes up, the better. Didn't seem like she had any other real significant injuries, maybe some bumps or bruises, but I don't think there's anything serious. I will wanna double check her ankle, though, looks like she could have twisted it in the fall. We'll do everything we can, and they'll sort everything out once we get her to the Hospital. Mom and Dad, if you'll come with me we can get her info sorted out on the ride."

"Of course." Hiro's mother answered as Coach helped her up. Lanie and the other EMT carefully placed Hiro on the gurney, strapped her in, then wheeled her to the ambulance, her parents and Bea trailing behind. When Bea tried to get into the ambulance after them, she was told,

"Sorry, family only, there's no more room."

"I'm her family!" Bea shouted.

"I'm very sorry, miss, but we really can't allow any more people on." There really was very little room left in the back for the EMTs to work, but this of course wasn't any consolation.

"But -" Whatever Bea was going to protest, she was cut off by the ambulance doors slamming in her face.


	10. Nobody Wants to Fight Me Like You Do

Chapter 10

Nobody Wants to Fight Me Like You Do

It's funny. Usually when you see an ambulance, or any other emergency vehicle going by on it's way somewhere, you barely even notice it, except maybe to note how annoying the siren is. You don't really think about how that firetruck could be on it's way to someone's home, or that police car might be going somewhere a little more dangerous than the local Dunkin' Donuts, and rarely would anyone cut off by an ambulance really stop and consider that there could be someone's relative riding in the back. And even if they have, until it's happened to you, you really have no idea.

When I saw Hiro on the steps, I tried to stay calm. I tried to stay focused. Freaking out, bursting into tears would not help her. Even after the paramedics came, I did my best to keep it together. She, Aunt Kishomi, and Uncle Leo needed support, not someone else to comfort. But once the ambulance pulled away, I just couldn't anymore. The red and blue lights fading into the distance blurred as they swam through my tears. I should be there with them, and I couldn't be. I suddenly was overwhelmed by a bottomless feeling of uselessness and helplessness I hadn't known since my parents died. The deeper I fell into it, the worse it got. How did I ever manage to crawl out 10 years ago?

"Bea?" I heard Ben call from behind me, and it hit me just how pathetic I must seem in this moment, crying in a goddamn parking lot even though Hiro will probably be fine, my stockings most likely filthy or torn from being on my knees with her, my hair and makeup undoubtedly a mess. I heard his footsteps behind me, and wished he were walking away, but I knew he wasn't. His hand slid over my shoulder and I shivered because he was warm, and I'd been standing outside in a thin, knee length dress.

"They couldn't take you? Do you want me to drive you over to the hospital?" My back was still to him, and I shook with tears as I nodded.

"Have you been crying all this time?" I sniffled and tried to wipe my eyes.

"Yes. Yes I have. And if you don't mind, I'm not quite done."

"I wish you wouldn't. I hate seeing you cry."

"Well...shouldn't matter to you. It's not your fault this time." Shit. _This time._ Well, whether he noticed or not, he didn't say anything about it. His hand still gripped my shoulder, and he turned me around to face him.

"Look, I don't know what's gotten into Claude, but I know Hiro would never do anything like that." I appreciated Ben's sentiment, but still scoffed.

"Tell that to _him_."

"Do you want me to?"

"Someone should, but we both know he'd never listen." Thinking of Hiro and understanding how hurt she must be by all the awful shit Claude pulled I broke down again. I could relate all too well to having a guy you fell head over heels for completely stomp on your heart. The true irony of it all was, the guy who did that to me was standing here right now, wrapping his arm around me while I cried into his shoulder. I calmed down pretty quickly, or at least, as quickly as I could, but even after I stopped crying neither of us seemed to want to let go. I don't know how long we stayed like that but after hours, or a moment, Ben whispered conspiratorially into my ear,

"Hey, you wanna know something crazy?" Knowing his methods for dealing with difficult situations, I fully expected him to come up with something totally ridiculous to make me laugh. Clearly in a situation where I could use one, I bit.

"Always."

"I don't think there's anything in the world I love as much as you." and with a quiet chuckle, "Isn't that strange?"

His words froze in a mist between us. I gasped, and looked up at him for a moment unable to think, unable to speak, unable to breathe. This didn't seem real. I tried to respond in a similarly lighthearted tone,

"Strangest thing I've ever heard." I chuckled, then fear shook my voice, "Unless..I said...that there was nothing I loved as much as you..." Holy crap, what was I thinking? This is the guy who completely shattered my heart! I backpedaled, fast."But, this is all hypothetical! - doesn't mean anything. But- Oh, I'm so worked up about Hiro I don't even know what I'm saying."

"Bea!" Ben said, grabbing my hands, trying to get me to stand still and look him in the eye. I refused, well aware that all resistance would drown in them the moment I did. "Calm down. You love me?"

"I never said so." I stated stubbornly, shivering in the silence, still staring at my feet. I hardly sounded convincing, even to myself. But, could I really trust him after...everything?

"You may as well have said it. I did, and I meant it." Despite all my efforts, now I looked him straight in the eye, and said, shock in my voice,

"You meant it? I-I-"

"Of course." I searched his face for the truth, and it was written on every feature. His whole face was lit up and those eyes were brighter than I'd ever seen them. I couldn't hold out any longer.

Well, maybe just a little. I gave him a light, playful shove.

"Well, why'd you cut me off just now, then?" I teased. "I was about to say I meant it, too."

He laughed.

"Well, say it then!"

"I love you, Ben." He pulled me to him and kissed me, and suddenly there was no more worry, no more second guessing. I threw my arms around his neck as his one hand rested on my back, and the other tangled itself in my hair. I don't know how long we were there, but we had a lot of time to make up for. We completely lost ourselves, as if nothing was enough. It was almost like we were back in high school. Except this was better, more real somehow. I'd never been happier.

Then my cell phone rang. One last kiss and I answered the phone, panting slightly, glowing with warmth despite the snowy December air, Ben's arm still wrapped around me.

"Hello?"

"Bea, it's Aunt Kishomi." and just like that, much of my giddy happiness was deflated like a punctured balloon, but only until she told me not half a second later, "Hiro woke up!"

"Oh, thank God!" I said ecstatically. "Will she be alright?"

"She seems to be doing well. They think she may have twisted her ankle when she fell, but nothings broken or even fractured, thank God! The worst she's probably got is a concussion but, the doctors want to do some more tests, and she's gonna be staying overnight."

"Of course."

"But, if things goes well, she'll be home sometime tomorrow afternoon or night. Assuming, of course, that this snow lets up."

"Fantastic!" I said, warm relief flooding through me. "I can meet you over there in a few minutes."

"Well, um, it would probably be better if you just went back to the house, sweetie. I don't want you out in this weather more than you have to. Besides, they're only just really getting started with running Hiro around for tests and all and you probably wouldn't be able to see much of her for quite a while. It's already after 9."

As you might guess, none of what Aunt Kishomi had to say convinced me. I had every intention of getting over there and seeing how Hiro was for myself. Yes, her parents were there with her, but I needed to be there for her too.

"What's up? News about Hiro?" Ben asked.

"Yeah." I said flatly. "She's awake."

"She is? That's fantastic! How is she feeling?"

"Would you mind driving me over to the Hospital? I'd go myself, but I came with the rest of the family in Uncle Leo's car."

"Oh, sure. Totally."

"Thanks, Ben." I turned, looking for his car, and he grinned.

"We should probably get our coats first." Shivering thoroughly now, I had to agree.

Unfortunately, to get back into the gym we had to walk up the steps where Hiro fell. Traces of her blood were still fresh in the snow, and the broken heel of her shoe, though now partially buried, haunted the stoop like a ghost. While the relief that she was out of immediate danger was wonderful, this vivid reminder of Hiro's situation renewed all my anger against Claude. It was unfathomable, incomprehensible to me how someone who had seemed so nice, genuinely seemed to care about the cousin who was like a sister to me could turn around and treat her like that. Everything that had happened ran through my mind again, and the thought of Hiro so hurt, physically and emotionally set me fuming. After hurrying through the gym to get my things, I marched back out the door and through the snowy parking lot with my hands balled in fists in my coat pockets. I heard the sound of rapid crunching behind me, turned, and saw Ben hurrying to keep up with my agitated pace. He caught one look at my expression and raised an eyebrow.

"Bea?"

"What." I asked sharply, but immediately catching myself and knowing it would be unfair to take my anger out on him, I changed my tone and teased,"Wondering what you did wrong now?" He shrugged and said sheepishly,

"_Did_ I do something wrong?" Pissed as I was, I had to laugh. I smiled at him and said with a shake of the head,

"Of course not." and kissed him on the cheek. "Do me a favor though?" I asked. He gave me one of those 'what are you up to' looks, but simply said,

"Name it." I felt my happy expression harden into something far more serious.

"Kill Claude." He did a double take.

"Say what?"

"You heard me."

"Oh, c'mon now. Look, what he did was totally not cool, but -"

"But? BUT!" I shouted. "To publicly HUMILIATE her in front of her friends and family? That's a little more than 'not cool', Ben. A whole lot more! How the hell can you defend him?"

"No, it's not, you're right."

"To act like he cared about her and then say those things. How could he even THINK that shit?" I asked, my breath puffing out in what looked like clouds of smoke. Appropriate, as I felt angry enough to breathe fire. "Does he know Hiro at all? God, I wanna rip his heart out." I stopped for a moment. "And then to say what he did to my uncle, HIS COACH? At the party he was throwing FOR THE TEAM!" When I got it all out, Ben looked at me carefully, I guess to be sure I'd actually let him talk.

"Look, what Claude did was not right. At all. And I told you before, anyone who knows Hiro would be as sure as you are she'd never cheat in a relationship. But Claude's my friend, and he _is_ a good guy." I saw red again.

"A GOOD guy?"

"Yes, Bea! I'm not, and I wouldn't make excuses for what he did, but you know as much as I do that what happened tonight isn't like him. He was crazy about Hiro. There had to be a reason he was so upset."

"Hmph. Crazy being the key word... Wait, are you trying to say that Hiro-"

"Of course not! What I'm saying is, even if it wasn't true, Claude believed it."

"But why?" I asked in a more reasonable tone. "He couldn't have seen anything himself, I can't imagine anyone saying anything to him, cause they'd have to be lying or whatever. Even if they did, why would he believe them?" Ben just shrugged.

"Beats me."

"And seriously, if he was that bent out of shape worrying that something was going on behind his back, why didn't he talk with her about it before flipping out like that in public?" Suddenly, Ben gasped and his eyes widened into bright blue saucers before he exclaimed,  
"Of course!"

"Of course, what?" I asked.

"Bea, do you remember saying almost all the same things that time we were talking about Othello back in high school? Something about how he was an idiot for listening to Iago and not even trying to get Desdemona's side of the story."

"Or even talking to anyone else about it aside from the one person telling him all that garbage before jumping to ridiculous conclusions?" I added, the pieces beginning to click. Claude and Hiro, Othello and Desdemona. It was an apt comparison."So, you're saying Claude had an Iago - of sorts."

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"But, who? And, why?"

"I couldn't say why, maybe jealousy? But my money's on John Donaldson. I remember after he talked with Claude at the Halloween party, Claude somehow had the idea that Pete was trying to snatch Hiro out from under his nose."

"So, you think he's been trying to break them up?"

"It seems kind of ridiculous, but it makes sense." I had to agree, and told him,

"We need to talk to Uncle Leo."

"And Claude." Ben added. I sighed in exasperation.

"Oh, alright if you insist. He _is_ your friend."

The idea of Pete's brother stirring up trouble was pretty bizarre but not totally unbelievable, and it certainly shed light on Claude's actions, even if not really justifying them. Regardless, in a better frame of mind Ben and I took off the for the hospital. We waited around with my aunt and uncle, Pete Donaldson, Maggie, and Tina. The first order of business was to explain to Uncle Leo our suspicions about John. Since he was the firsthand witness to it all, Ben did most of the talking.

"I don't know what to think." Uncle Leo finally said. "It would certainly explain how Claude could have gotten such an absurd idea, but beyond that-"

"Well, with Claude playing so well, John's not off the bench much." Ben explained

"I guess so. But, you really think he'd resent Claude for it that much?"

"It seems that way." My uncle just shook his head before his cellphone rang.

"It's work, I'd better take this." He told us before stepping away. Aunt Kishomi, Ben, and I just looked at each other in confusion. We sat in comparative silence only interrupted every so often by what sounded like exclamations from Uncle Leo down the hall. When he rejoined us, he looked shellshocked.

"That was Dogberry from campus security. He's one of the officers that monitors student computing. Apparently Rick Borachio had contacted them, concerned that his school email had been hacked. He said he found sent and received emails in his account he had never seen before. He admitted that he had helped John Donaldson try to break up Claude and Hiro, but freaked out when he realized John must have accessed his account without his permission."

"Isn't John's work-study job in academic computing?" I asked.

"Yeah. He does technical support with the computers, school website, and student accounts." Ben answered.

"Wait! Claude said something about emails when he was accusing Hiro of cheating on him! John must have gotten into her account, too!" I said.

"Exactly." My uncle cut in. "They looked into his account access, and while he'd done a lot to cover his tracks, they were able to retrace all the suspect emails to his computer."

"I can't believe he'd do that." was all I could say.

"I mean, he always seemed grouchy or...I dunno, sullen?" Ben said. "But, with that haircut I just figured he was emo. At worst maybe in need of an attitude adjustment, but this, this is..."

"Malicious." My uncle said firmly.

"Son of a bitch." I spat out.

"We were never very close, but as his coach I...I thought I knew him." Uncle Leo said. Ben clapped his hand on his shoulder and told him quietly.

"We all did, Coach." There wasn't much more to be said after we all agreed to let Hiro know what had happened once we felt she was doing better, and Claude too. Though at first I thought it was more than he deserved, I figured it couldn't hurt to make him realize just how huge a jackass he'd been.

Meanwhile, Hiro was being shuffled from one test to another, which worried us, but the more convinced we all became of Hiro's injuries not being as serious as we initially feared, the mood gradually lightened.

We hadn't talked about it beforehand, but Ben and I didn't say anything about what had happened between us. It was all too new, and there was too much still to be sorted out to want to share just yet. Plus, of course, Hiro's situation was the important thing until she was materially better.

By a little after 10:30, a nurse wheeled Hiro back from whatever scan or test they had just been doing, and we were able to talk with her for a few minutes. Overall, she seemed alert, and as much like herself as could be expected given the circumstances, if a little worn out by the stress of the last few hours. The cut on her head didn't even need stitches, but the area around it had started to bruise, and seeing her banged up and hooked up to monitors, Ivs, and who knows what else broke my heart almost as much as seeing how heartbroken she was about Claude.

Hiro hadn't said too much, and barely breathed a word about what happened, but I knew her well enough to know that her relative silence on the subject was the surest sign of how much it hurt her. I had no intention of bringing it up, but just sitting there and quietly saying "Hiro, I'm so sorry." brought tears to her eyes and all she said was, "Bea, how _could_ he?" All I could do was hug her. The nurse was pretty quick to shoo everyone except my Aunt and Uncle back out of the room, reminding us that we all weren't really supposed to be in there in the first place, as visiting hours were over. We all said goodnight and went our separate ways.

Ben and I walked back to his car in a soothing silence which we kept up after we were on the road. I don't know who grabbed who's hand, but Ben drove with one hand on the wheel, the other in mine. Several minutes went by, and I started to doze off until Ben gave my hand a sharp squeeze, which, now more alert, I returned with interest, and a dirty look. He smirked, and I rolled my eyes with a begrudging grin. Before long, we pulled up to my house. He walked me to the door, which I immediately unlocked and held open for him. Partly for the sake of avoiding the awkward doorstep ritual, but mostly because I didn't really want to be by myself.

"I'm coming inside?" Ben asked, apparently surprised. He looked at me closely, I guess to see if I was serious.

"That was the idea."

"Well, if you insist." he said with smirk before walking through the door. I smiled.

"You can hang your coat right here," I told him as I put mine away, "and if you don't mind chilling in the living room for a minute, I should probably go get changed."

"Oh...alright. Sure." He said. I hurried up the steps to my room. Hiro and I came home from school a few weekends a month, but most of my things were in my dorm. This limited my options, but I did manage to find a tee shirt and pajama pants to put on after frantically pulling out the bobbypins from my hair and washing off my makeup.

I walked back downstairs and saw Ben on the sofa, flipping through channels on the TV. Suddenly insecure, it occurred to me that I probably should have put a little more thought into my outfit. I was considering running back to my room when he spotted me and smiled. Internally, I had to laugh at myself for being so ridiculous; this was real. The worry was irrational. I walked over towards the sofa, but before I could grab a seat, Ben took my hand, pulled me to him, and kissed me. Foreheads still touching, we broke apart grinning.

"Hey."

"Hi."

And with that, I reached beside him, snatched a pillow, and smacked him upside the head.

"Hey!"

"Skooch over."

"Haha, alright." and with that, I sat beside him, and he put his arm around me as if this happened everyday. We didn't say anything for a while, and as exhaustion started to catch up with me, I found myself gradually leaning into Ben's shoulder. I was nearly asleep when he nudged me, and asked quietly,

"Hey, just remembered. Weren't you saying we needed to talk?"

"Huwuh?" I mumbled groggily, and then the memory of our text conversation last week came back to me. "Hmm...I think we've said what we needed to for now. We can sort the rest out when we're more awake?" I yawned. Ben looked pretty tired himself.

"Alright." It wasn't long before we both were asleep.


End file.
